Guardian - Miliband - Russia has big responsibility not to start new cold war
The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, today said Russia must not start a new cold war as he accused Moscow of trying to redraw the map of Europe in the wake of the war in Georgia. Miliband was speaking in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, a Russian neighbour that, like Georgia, wants to join Nato. The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, yesterday defied the west by recognising as independent the breakaway Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. "The Georgia crisis has provided a rude awakening," Miliband said in a speech to students. "The sight of Russian tanks in a neighbouring country on the 40th anniversary of the crushing of the Prague spring has shown that the temptations of power politics remain. "The old sores and divisions fester. And Russia is not yet reconciled to the new map of this region. Yesterday's unilateral attempt to redraw the map marks a moment of real significance.
Miliband was speaking in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, a Russian neighbour that, like Georgia, wants to join Nato.
The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, yesterday defied the west by recognising as independent the breakaway Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"The Georgia crisis has provided a rude awakening," Miliband said in a speech to students. "The sight of Russian tanks in a neighbouring country on the 40th anniversary of the crushing of the Prague spring has shown that the temptations of power politics remain.
"The old sores and divisions fester. And Russia is not yet reconciled to the new map of this region. Yesterday's unilateral attempt to redraw the map marks a moment of real significance.
words that are not rude fail to grasp my feelings about this. What the f--- is he doing in Ukraine ? Apart, I mean, from taking a stick and pushing it into a hornet's nest to see what happens. How are Britains interests advanced like this ? How is europe's or NATO's ? who promoting this frenzy ?
Jeesis H Christ on a bike, what sort of clowns are running this country ?
Let russia station soldiers in Cuba, let russia put missiles in Mexico and then we'll see how a free nation reacts. keep to the Fen Causeway
As to the WTF question, I think he's vying for the Labour Party leadership. We all know that being "strong on foreign policy" is necessary to appear statesmanlike. A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
I recognise that Milliband is vying for the leadership of the Labour Party, but he's doing it in the Blair-ite way of never allowing himself to be outflanked on the right by the conservative party. If Cameron can go and make an arse of himself in Tblisi, Milliband must go to Kiev. What next ? Picking up a rifle and fighting with the chechens.
And I go back to my earlier question, what has this got to do with Britain's interests ? Blair's ideology is a busted flush for the Labour party, the more he indulges in this neocon lunacy, the less likely it is that most Labourites will support him.
Now, on a personal basis, watching Milliband cut his own throat is fine by me, but he's there as the Foreign Secretary. We get our gas from Russia, how is pissing them off going to help fuel prices this winter ? keep to the Fen Causeway
holding talks ... with international partners and [is] visiting Ukraine [today] to ensure the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia
And, to quote a page linked to by ceebs this morning...
In the first half of the [nineteenth] century France as the British bogeyman gave way to Russia, leading finally to the Crimean War in 1854. In 1839 the obsession in British India was that the Russians, extending the Tsar's empire east into Asia, would invade India through Afghanistan.
Why are you surprised? A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
I'll pull a Jerome and claim that unless Ukraine or Poland decide to close the pipelines, Gazprom will still deliver the contracted amounts of gas. A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
I'm not saying they would. In this I side very much with you and JaP that Russia have a lot to lose and little to gain if they took such shenanigans too far. But we are not a reliable customer, we are not a good partner and they have no reason to do us any favours if we keep pissing them off. keep to the Fen Causeway
TEH STUPID. IT HURTS.
Russia has done it again. It has recognised the breakaway Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in direct defiance of the United States and Europe. The Russians have gone even further, saying they don't care about joining the World Trade Organistaion if the West chooses to freeze them out. They have already turned their backs on partnership with Nato and are doing everything they can to take away all the diplomatic threats the West thought it had. It is hard to see how we are on anything but an irreversible pathway to a new Cold War. The question is what will the consequences be? Will Russia win or lose in the end? And in the meantime, with Europe so dependent on Russian gas, does Moscow seem to hold all the cards?
...what sort of clowns are running this country ?
