Eastern States Using the EU to Pursue Feuds with Russia

jp · 26-02-2007, 11:50 AM

Quote:

....Warsaw is still interested in putting a clause into the EU treaty mandate allowing any EU capital to trigger suspension of talks in future if Russia does not play ball on bilateral trade or energy interests with EU members.

On top of this, some Polish officials are widening the veto discussion to encompass the EU's internal negotiations on a new common energy policy, with Warsaw concerned at lack of EU solidarity on issues such as the German-Russian plan to build a gas pipeline bypassing Poland and Lithuania.

Meanwhile, Lithuania - the only EU state to publicly back Poland's veto strategy so far - is threatening to add a veto of its own in order to get Brussels to help break Russia's oil supply blockade on Mazeikiu Nafta, the only petrol refinery in the Baltic states.

Last July, Russia switched off a branch of its Druzhba pipeline supplying Mazeikiu, forcing the firm to pay more to bring in oil by sea in a situation that is seriously impacting the unit's competitiveness in the cut-throat consumer petrol station business.

Russia said it needs to make technical repairs to the branch pipe. But Vilnius sees it as political punishment for selling the company to Polish firm PKN Orlen instead of a Russian company, with Lithuanian officials sceptical Moscow will ever reopen the Druzhba link by itself.

http://euobserver.com/9/23569

These Eastern European spats with Russia may well put massive strain on the EU. Germany trying to tie things up with Russia to the exclusion of Poland is particularly delicious in a historical context.

Perhaps these issues will bring about the demise of the EU rather than stresses due to the Euro etc.

Tom Wilde · 26-02-2007, 11:59 AM

I think one of the main attractions of joining the EU for the Poles, Czechs, Lithuanians etc was that it would give them backing in any disputes with Russia. After all, these countries were completely under Russia's thumb for forty years and Russia is right on their doorsteps, so it is perfectly rational for them to fear that Russia might try to dominate them again. Therefore the EU represents their guarantee that they can stay part of the capitalist, pluralist West.

The fact that the EU is deeply corrupt and undemocratic seems to either something the public there haven't fully noticed yet, or else something they are prepared to put up with for the sake of the security it offers against Russia. The calculation of whether EU membership is worthwhile is therefore quite different in Poland from that in the UK.

Britannist · 26-02-2007, 12:07 PM

This is the what the europhiles call the 'european house' (i.e. the EU) in action.

Bickering, rows, disagreements and discord. That is what so-called 'european unity' amounts to.

And we, the British, thanks to our useless pro-EU political 'elite', have to foot the biggest part of the bill for the whole charade.

jp · 26-02-2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Therefore the EU represents their guarantee that they can stay part of the capitalist, pluralist West.

Fully agree with your analysis.

The question in my mind is the extent to which the major players in the EU will want to play the role of protector, if it impedes their interests in Russia.

26-02-2007, 12:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
Britannist Uber Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: London Posts: 22,896	'European house' is a total farce This is the what the europhiles call the 'european house' (i.e. the EU) in action. Bickering, rows, disagreements and discord. That is what so-called 'european unity' amounts to. And we, the British, thanks to our useless pro-EU political 'elite', have to foot the biggest part of the bill for the whole charade.

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26-02-2007, 11:59 AM	#2 (permalink)
Tom Wilde Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London. Posts: 2,886	I think one of the main attractions of joining the EU for the Poles, Czechs, Lithuanians etc was that it would give them backing in any disputes with Russia. After all, these countries were completely under Russia's thumb for forty years and Russia is right on their doorsteps, so it is perfectly rational for them to fear that Russia might try to dominate them again. Therefore the EU represents their guarantee that they can stay part of the capitalist, pluralist West. The fact that the EU is deeply corrupt and undemocratic seems to either something the public there haven't fully noticed yet, or else something they are prepared to put up with for the sake of the security it offers against Russia. The calculation of whether EU membership is worthwhile is therefore quite different in Poland from that in the UK.