Europe is letting itself be blackmailed by Russia

De Standaard newspaper criticises European reactions to the conflict in the Caucasus. "The justifications for the Russian action that we are now hearing from some Europeans, led by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, must simply be condemned. Europe is letting itself be blackmailed by Moscow, which is only too ready to brandish the weapon of energy [supplies]. If Europe stands for anything, it must also defend its values. It has the moral duty to accompany countries on its borders on the difficult path to development, freedom and democracy. ... Anyone who defends Putin's action must accept that more is at stake here than the status of a small smuggler's den. How believable is the European Union, if it allows small countries on its borders to be forced back into the big Russian empire?"

» full article (external link, Dutch)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Russia, » Europe