Russia strengthens its influence in ex-Soviet states

Russia will give Ukraine a 30 percent price reduction on natural gas supplies in future. In exchange it is to be allowed to keeps its Black Sea Fleet stationed on the Crimean Peninsula for an additional 25 years. The daily Delo sees this as a Russian strategy aimed at securing its influence in post-Soviet states: "This agreement proves that Russia is using its plentiful energy resources to boost its influence on politics in the former Soviet republics ... . There can be no doubt that Russia is prepared to pay any price for its gas imperialism. The EU and Nato are much less generous in this respect, and this is the main reason why they have been firmly rebuffed in the post-Soviet area: In Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, and also to some extent in Georgia, the revolutions supported by the West have produced disappointing results. This is why Russia is now returning with big steps to the vast expanses of the former Soviet Union."

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