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Originally Posted by baggygreen
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...07-401,00.html
The dangers of provoking the russian bear.
The article mentions an accusation by the Ukranians that it is all a fabrication of Russia's. I agree. This way, russia is punishing Ukraine, and is punishing Europe for pushing NATO further and further eastwards. Russia can use the gas themselves, or they can sell it south or eastwards where there are millions of consumers at the ready.
Russia 1 - Europe 0
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Russia is not the only one flexing its muscle - the Ukraine does the same, and maybe even more than Russia.
Of course, energy politics has always been power politics for Russia, that's why it was questionable to allow the EU consuming Russian gas to such a degree (one third of Germany's gas is Russian), even more questionable was to hinder the direct pipeline from russia via the Baltic sea to Germany, bypassing all nations inbetween: Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine. But somebody in Poland protested to become minimised in strategic importance that way, so it gets delayed endlessly and that they call diplomacy...
Russia and the Ukraine are in poor economic shape, due to the financial and global crisis, and Russia due to the fallen(now raising again) energy prices. The Russians have stopped more or less to pump gas into the pipeline that is planned for the EU, because it gets stolen by the Ukraineans. The Ukraine in return tries to call panic in Europe over the "Russian threat" - in order to enforce Ukrainean membership in NATO and the "European club" that way, after it had been shown the cold shoulder in the wake of the Georgian war. So, my sympathy for the Ukraine is very limited. Why they insist they have a right to pay less than half of the usual gobal world market prices for gas and not obeying their obligations to pay conventional penalties lead down in the old gas treaties with Russia, escapes me - they have no call for being delivered Russian gas if they do not wish to pay the Russian prices the EU also has to pay. Just stealing the gas then from the shareload intended for transportation to the EU, simply is this: criminal theft.
After Georgia having tried to almost blackmail, betray, lie and cheat in order to get Europe involved in the Caucasean war and embracing Georgia in NATO, I'm more than just a little bit pissed when realising that since longer time the Ukraine tries the same foul games, playing the innocent victim, but cheating, lying and betraying not less than Georgia did - just to force and manipulate the EU and NATO to give it membership as well, and instrumentalising the fear of Russia in order to kick in the door into the EU and get membership. The EU already has problems enough even without such foul candidates, its not that all EU businesses already are healthy and in order. Additional problems from wannabe-candidates like this, with all the conflict potential they bring (regarding Russia), are not needed, really. They cost us more troubles than we get benefits in return. 29 states in the EU definetly is many more than is healthy for the organisation. As the saying goes: the more cooks there are in kitchen, the more they spoil the brew.