EU Beckons Ukraine and Georgia
Thomas Ferenczi, Le Monde (in French) | December 12, 2008
A battle over ex-Soviet republics is taking place between Brussels and Moscow. ++ This quarrel is the subtext to the laborious negotiations over Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO and the EU. ++ The EU has shown a clear desire for greater “association” with its neighbors but refuses to start real talks for fear of angering Russia. ++ A European presence in the region is necessary to avert destabilization. ++ But the EU must decide quickly whether to bring these countries fully into the transatlantic fold or keep them on side from a distance.
