Beware of Russia

On the eve of the EU-Russia summit in Nice, the daily Romania libera comments on the differences between the stances of the Western and Eastern European states regarding the planned partnership agreement: "It comes as ... no surprise that the EU is advocating the partnership agreement more strongly than Moscow. Europe is dependent on Russian gas, and some states like Slovakia are entirely dependent on it. ... The majority of the EU's western states have always adopted a timid stance towards Russia. ... [Following EU enlargement in 2004] the former communist countries of the East acted far more radically than the West had expected. Countries like the Baltic states and Poland are more familiar with Russia's political mentality. Their geographical proximity and past experience enable the states of the East to decode Moscow's signals more efficiently. ... In comparison with their position, the sad jokes of [Italian Prime Minister Silvio] Berlusconi, who for some time now has systematically proposed that Russia be integrated into the EU, show how inappropriate Europe's traditional pacifist stance is today."

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