Russia to EU: Stay out of Syria, back down on Gazprom

EU Observer ^ | 2012.06.04 @ 09:29 | Andrew Rettman

[Olog-hai]

Vladimir Putin has made clear that he will not budge an inch on Syria ahead of an EU-Russia summit.

Speaking in separate press events in Berlin and Paris on Friday (1 June), the Russian leader ruled out lifting his UN Security Council veto on economic sanctions or military action against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

He also blamed civilian deaths on opposition forces and denied that Russia is selling weapons to Damascus.

"Russia does not provide weapons that could be used in a civil conflict," he said in the German capital. …

He also criticized Western adventurism in general, noting that NATO is pressing ahead with plans for missile interceptors in eastern Europe in what Russia sees as a threat to its nuclear deterrent.

"They promised us they would not expand NATO, then they promised not to deploy bases, but NATO is expanding and moving east and bases are springing up like mushrooms," he said.

Top EU officials Herman Van Rompuy, Jose Manuel Barroso and Catherine Ashton began one of their regular, twice-yearly Russia summits with a dinner on Sunday in an 18^th-century Tsarist palace on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. …

In terms of EU-level business, Putin is expected to urge the EU to back down on an energy law that could force Russian energy champion Gazprom to sell off assets in Europe, to seek EU endorsement of Russia's South Stream gas pipeline project, to rethink another EU law on forcing foreign airlines to pay CO₂ emissions taxes, and to speed up work on EU-Russia visa-free travel.

For its part, the EU side is keen to find out if Putin still backs the Partnership for Modernization, what he plans to do about a new EU-Russia strategic treaty and about the Eurasian Union. …

[G Larry]

“...weapons that could be used in a civil conflict...”

Ya, Russia only sells weapons Syria would use against any intervening force.

SAM batteries and radars, etc.

The US and EU better man up before this tyrant, Putin, is seen to establish it’s own world order.

We can’t fire Obama soon enough!

[Olog-hai]

Putin already is talking about creating a “Eurasian Union”—essentially appropriating an analog of the European Union's name and applying it to his renewed version of the USSR, the demise of which he called the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe” of the 20^th Century (which ought to illustrate his mindset to those that are ignorant of it).

And of course, this infamous button was always for display purposes only . . . mostly to display how weak the US liberal politicians are towards Russia:

[G Larry]

Yes, I had quite an exchange with a Putin apologist, here on FR about a month ago.

He just loved how Putin was helping Jewish business thrive in Russia.

I finally asked, “which former Soviet country does not currently have a Russian military presence?”

[mamelukesabre]

Russia never does anything for philosophical, humanitarian, or moral reasons, and usually not even for political reasons anymore. If they want the west out of syria its because there is money involved and russia will lose money somehow if the west goes into syria.

[bill1952]

Putin is expected to urge the EU to back down on an energy law that could force Russian energy champion Gazprom to sell off assets in Europe, to seek EU endorsement of Russia's South Stream gas pipeline project, to rethink another EU law on forcing foreign airlines to pay CO2 emissions taxes, and to speed up work on EU-Russia visa-free travel.

All of which are exactly what I would do.

Quite apparent that Putin is no pussy in dealing with the EU.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Olog-hai.