Monday, January 02, 2006

The Example of Ukraine

Also at Ukraine - Oh My! - a translation of part of a perceptive article by Michael Thumann, in Die Zeit:
The natural gas account gives Vladimir Putin a perfect method to apply pressure, by means of which the Ukrainians are to be stopped from forming close ties to the West. Stay away from NATO in exchange for a slow rise in the gas price - wouldn't that be a deal? And in case the regime in Kyiv doesn't give in, it will eventually fall on its own over the energy prices and their consequences. Gazprom's pricing is the continuation of the Kremlin's politics by other means... The example of Ukraine should teach caution to all of Europe.

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