EU Wary of Being Dragged Into Britain-Russia Diplomatic Row

Despite a statement saying it was “disappointed” by Russian failure to cooperate with the UK, the European Union is staying firmly on the sidelines in the escalating diplomatic row between London and Moscow.

As relations between Britain and Russia reach the lowest point since the Cold War, the European Union stands to one side, unwilling to get involved in what could turn out to be one of the most serious diplomatic spats between east and west in over a decade.

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Eventual EU statement lacks weight

A statement eventually materialized Thursday, but Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado’s assertion that the diplomatic row was “disappointing” and “a bilateral issue” between Britain and Russia hardly threw the bloc’s weight behind the Brits.

The statement by the Portuguese did however say the issue “raises important questions of common interest to EU member states,” adding that Litvinenko’s murder was “a grave and reckless crime.”

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Germany says Britain “overreacted

Germany was one of the many other EU nations which viewed the situation from a distance. Despite Prime Minister Brown’s visit in person to Berlin to press Chancellor Angela Merkel for her support, Germany remained firmly on the fence but did say that it thought Britain had “overreacted” by expelling the four Russian diplomats and freezing bilateral negotiations on visas.
 

Russia warns EU to stay out of row

Russia for its part has warned the EU to stay out of the row and Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s EU representative in Brussels called the EU Presidency’s lukewarm statement on Wednesday “an unpleasant surprise for us.”

(DW; Image: AP) 
 

Russia expels four UK diplomats

Russia is to expel four UK diplomats in the continuing row over Moscow’s refusal to extradite the man suspected of Alexander Litvinenko’s murder.

The four diplomats must leave Russia within 10 days, and Moscow is to review visa applications for UK officials.

Foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said co-operation in counter terrorism would no longer be possible.

On Monday four Russian embassy staff were expelled from the UK as part of the row over the murder in London.

Mr Kamynin also said Moscow would not apply for any UK visas for Russian officials.

(BBC; Image:AP)

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Spiraling British-Russian Diplomatic Row Could Pull in EU

Amid a growing diplomatic row that threatens to affect the European Union’s ties to Russia, Moscow said it intends to put a halt to cooperating with London on counter-terrorism and security matters.

The move, announced in Moscow by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Gruschko on Tuesday, follows Britain’s decision to expel four Russian diplomats over Moscow’s refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, suspected of murdering Kremlin critic and British citizen Alexander Litvinenko.

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“It is apparent that the (British) sanctions are aimed at politicizing the Litvinenko affair,” he added. “This is a direct path to confrontation.”

 

EU could be pulled into fight

Gruschko also said he hoped the European Union would have “enough common sense” as to not allow itself to become an instrument in the affair.

 

But the EU is likely to be pulled into any dispute between a member state and Russia, according to Luxemburg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.

 

“Naturally we are showing our solidarity with another EU member, but you also have to have the right to question certain steps,” Asselborn told Financial Times Deutschland, adding that he wondered if the dispute could have been settled using “silent, diplomatic channels.”

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave her support to Brown’s decision to expel the Russians, who are rumored to be part of the embassy’s intelligence unit.

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The French Foreign Ministry allow issued a statement Tuesday calling for Moscow to “constructively answer the British request.”

 

(DW; Image: AP)

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EU Warns of Legal Action If Poland Continues With Highway

The European Commission said it would resume court action against Poland if the country goes ahead with the construction of a highway through an environmentally fragile forest. Poland said building will restart Aug. 1.

Poland announced on Tuesday that work would continue on Aug. 1 on the controversial Via Baltica highway through a section of virgin forest in the northeast Rospuda Valley, near the border with Lithuania.

However, European Commission spokeswoman on environmental affairs, Barbara Helfferich, said the EU executive would not hesitate to take Poland to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) once again to get the road work halted.

…Unique habitat The Rospuda marshlands and surrounding area are the world’s most important breeding grounds for the endangered aquatic warbler. The region is also home to rare spotted eagles, lynx and wolves.

The planned “Via Baltica” highway, however, is intended as a new, major corridor for the Baltic states meant to ease traffic and thus trade between eastern and western Europe.

To cut down on traffic flow near the town of Augustow, Polish transport officials foresee building a bypass road that would cut right through the Rospuda River valley. EU authorities consider the area to be “a unique wetland system.”

(Poland has 31 orchid species, 19 of which can be found in the Rospuda Valley).

 

(DW; Image:Piotr Malczewski)

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