June 27, 2008 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – June 27, 2008

270608.jpgTODAY: EU-Russia summit begins amid row over wood tariffs with Finland; Russia’s “image problem”; Georgia suggests splitting Abkhazia; Kremlin funding pro-government movies? First reports from the EU-Russia summit say Dmitry Medvedev is “striking a softer pose” than predecessor Vladimir Putin, although the summit is already seen as being “overshadowed” by energy disputes and a wood trade dispute with Finland over “crippling” tariffs. A group of UK politicians have written an open letter criticizing Russia’s “bilateral hostility towards the UK”. The Moscow Times today writes on Russia’s image problem, quoting an analyst at a Kremlin-backed think tank: “Whatever Russia is doing is reported in a stereotypical way.