Putin talks of Black Sea confrontation

Michael Evans
Times Online
August 28, 2008

A new Cold War between Russia and the West grew steadily closer yesterday after the Kremlin gave a warning about “direct confrontation” between American and Russian warships in the Black Sea.

Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, declared that Russia was taking “measures of precaution” against American and Nato naval ships. “Let’s hope we do not see any direct confrontation in that,” he said.

Any attempt by countries in the West to isolate Russia would “definitely harm the economic interests of those states”, he said.

A day after the Kremlin said that it was ready to fight a new Cold War, both sides gave the impression that they were preparing for a protracted stand-off. Foreign ministers of the G7 leading industrialised nations condemned Russia’s excessive use of force and the decision to recognise the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, while the US and Russia shelved a key nuclear agreement that would have given the Americans access to Russian nuclear technologies and Russia help from the US in establishing an international nuclear fuel storage facility for spent fuel.

Read article

EU considers sanctions on Russia

BBC

South Ossetians have celebrated Russia’s recognition of independence

EU leaders are considering sanctions “and many other means” against Russia over the Georgia crisis, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has said.

But he said he hoped the matter would “be solved by negotiation”.

Moscow’s military action in Georgia and its recognition of independence for rebel regions has angered the West.

At a key summit, Moscow’s Asian allies have not followed suit in recognising independence but Russia’s president says he has their “understanding”.

Speaking at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), President Dmitry Medvedev said the group had a united position that would have “international resonance”.

“I hope it will serve as a serious signal to those who try to turn black into white and justify this aggression,” he said in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

However, the BBC’s Humphrey Hawksley in Moscow says the summit’s statement fell far short of unequivocal support for Russia.

The SCO, which includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, did express backing for Russia’s “active role” in resolving the conflict in Georgia by “assisting in peace and co-operation in the region”.

But its statement added: “The SCO member states express their deep concern over the recent tensions surrounding the South Ossetia question and call for the sides to peacefully resolve existing problems through dialogue.”