September 2, 2008 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Sept 2, 2008

020908.jpgTODAY: EU summit “disappointing” / demonstrates “unity”. Talks on new EU agreement suspended until Russia withdraws troops from Georgia; 1 million-strong Georgian anti-Russia protest; Lavrov calls for arms embargo. Ingushetia website journalist’s funeral turns into a protest. Many are disappointed with the EU’s perceived lack of purpose with regard to Russia, although the BBC and the Guardian both portray yesterday’s summit – at least, when compared with the one held in 2003 – as a show of unity. “Some will be disappointed that strong words are not yet to be matched by actions, but there was clear conditionality.” Thanks to the “conciliatory” mood of states such as Germany, France and Italy, “no specific sanctions or punishments were even discussed”. This article says that one positive outcome of the summit is that EU observers will be sent to Georgia to monitor Russia’s compliance with the ceasefire. Nicolas Sarkozy will travel to Moscow next week for similar purposes. Britain and Poland are reportedly pushing for stronger actions, but measures such as sanctions were avoided, and talks on a new partnership agreement will be suspended until Russian troops pull out of Georgia. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband writes in today’s Moscow Times on the possibility of a new Cold War.