Baltic News Service
September 13, 2008 Saturday 11:57 PM EET

RUSSIAN AGGRESSION HAS WOKEN UP EUROPE – ESTONIA’S LAAR

TALLINN Sep 13

Russia’s aggression against Georgia has aroused Europe from passivity,
the chairman of Estonia’s right-wing Pro Patria and Res Publica Union
says.

Speaking about the future of Europe at the Krynica economic forum in
Poland, Mart Laar said that even if the response to Russian steps has
not been as quick and strong as sometimes hoped for, this is
nonetheless one of the first times when Europe has managed to act in
concert and present its positions.

It has brought results, he said, as Russia has become seriously
concerned about ending up in isolation and is forced to retreat to
some extent at least as witnessed by the withdrawal of troops from
Poti and elsewhere in the buffer zone.

"Russia’s aggression against Georgia has widened European
prospects. If earlier it was not possible to speak seriously about
giving Georgia and Ukraine a prospect of joining the European Union,
now it is under serious consideration," he said.

According to Laar, Europe has realized that passivity in its
neighborhood will cost more dear than active steps. "Other South
Caucasus countries such as Armenia and Azerbaijan which likewise feel
threatened in the new situation have also emerged on the European
horizon," he said.

Laar also noted that Europe can be successful only when relying on and
defending its values. In his words, the Georgian events demonstrated
that at least regarding Russia there is no point in discussing whether
a foreign policy based on values or realpolitik yields better results.

"Realpolitik simply does not work as far as Moscow is concerned, like
earlier dictatorships, the Kremlin sees it as a manifestation of
weakness," he said.