The Devil Went Down to Georgia

TBILISI (AFP) — Georgia on Thursday launched a diplomatic offensive against Russian moves to build closer ties with two rebel regions, accusing Moscow of breaching Georgia's sovereignty and calling for a UN Security Council emergency session.

The former Soviet republic's pro-Western president, Mikheil Saakashvili, called for "serious actions" from the international community and sent senior ministers to the US and Europe to press Georgia's case.

"We demand that Russia stop all actions which breach Georgia's sovereignty," Saakashvili told ministers at a cabinet meeting, his press office said.

On Wednesday, Russia said it would intensify cooperation with the two pro-Moscow breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in trade, culture and other areas and provide "complete protection" to Russians living there.

Saakashvili called on the international community to react, saying "we need serious actions, not only words from our partners in the next days and weeks."

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Georgia is not going to given in to Russia's attempts to breach its sovereignty. The diplomatic tactics of Russia seem to be failing. This is making Georgia very unhappy and they are getting the UN envolved.

Russia Vows Steps if Georgia and Ukraine Join NATO

MOSCOW: Russia will take military and other steps along its borders if ex-Soviet Ukraine and Georgia join NATO, Russian news agencies quoted the armed forces' chief of staff as saying on Friday.

"Russia will take steps aimed at ensuring its interests along its borders," the agencies quoted General Yuri Baluyevsky as saying. "These will not only be military steps, but also steps of a different nature," he said, without giving details.

Russia is opposed to NATO plans to grant membership to ex-Soviet Ukraine and Georgia, saying such a move would pose a direct threat to its security and endanger the fragile balance of forces in Europe.

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Russia is still trying to keep and exert the power they use to have over former Soviet Union countries. The not-so-hidden aggression and threats, both military and other, made by Russia shows that are strongly opposed to any surrounding nations joining NATO.

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Ukraine's Leader Points Out Drawback in Deal With Gazprom

City of Kiez

KIEV, March 14 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's president criticized on Friday a new natural gas deal with Russia, saying it gave Russian state gas giant Gazprom too high a quota for direct gas sales in Ukraine, his spokeswoman said.

At a meeting with his prime minister and the head of state oil and gas company Naftogaz, President Viktor Yushchenko said that although he broadly supported the deal, it had altered a key instruction he earlier issued.

The agreement guarantees Gazprom minimum annual gas sales in Ukraine of 7.5 billion cubic meters, rather than setting this figure as an upper limit, as Yushchenko had ordered, press secretary Irina Vannikova said.

"This detail needs to be clarified," she said.

Premier Yulia Tymoshenko and Naftogaz CEO Oleh Dubyna met with the president to discuss details of the agreement reached on Thursday between Gazprom and Naftogaz to end their long-running gas dispute.

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Hopefully this agreement will mend the relationship between Russia and Ukraine. If they can not decide on an agreement, then this could lead to more gas disputes throughout Europe, which could then lead to gas shortages and higher prices.

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Gazprom Restores Ukraine Gas Flow

Russian energy giant Gazprom has agreed to restore full gas supplies to Ukraine, ending a three-day crisis.

Gazprom had cut supplies to Ukraine by half this week, in a dispute over Ukraine's debts to Gazprom (£770m) and a new contract.

The dispute raised concern that gas supplies to Europe would be hit as much of its supply passes through Ukraine.

But Naftogaz said that supplies to Europe had not been interrupted by its disagreement with Gazprom.


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This is important because it shows that Russia has the power to control gas flowing to almost all of Europe since the gas from Russia flows through Ukraine. In the past when Russia has had disagreements with Ukraine, it has cut off the gas lines or slowed the amount running through the pipes, which has impacted all of Europe. Russia has the ability to control the amount of gas and gas exports going through Western Europe in the event of an international dispute.

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Ukraine Stops The Gas Flow

KIEV (Thomson Financial) - A top Ukrainian official on Friday rejected one of the terms of a gas deal this month with Russia requiring the creation of a joint venture to distribute Russian gas in Ukraine, news agencies reported.

"We think there is no need to form a joint venture to work on the internal market," Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Turchinov was quoted as saying by Interfax and RIA Novosti.

He said Ukrainian company Naftogaz was capable of working alone on the domestic market without needing to hook up with Russia's Gazprom.

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Ukrainian officals have put a stopp to Russia's gas deal. The Ukrain believes that they can accomplish the needed results by themeselves. This will make Russia very melancholy becasue they will loose money in this deal gone wrong. The aricle providedes yet another example of Russian diplomatic relations.

Russia Proposes to Ukraine Joint Development of Oil, Gas Fields

Gazprom Building

Moscow, February 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has proposed to Ukraine the joint development of hydrocarbon fields in both countries on the basis of equitable asset swaps, the Russian prime minister said on Wednesday after bilateral talks.

"Our proposals to Ukraine concern not only transit operations, but also the joint development of hydrocarbons deposits in both countries, with a commensurate swapping of assets," Viktor Zubkov said.

The prime ministers of Russia and Ukraine confirmed the natural gas commitments made by their respective presidents.

Following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Yulia Tymoshenko, Zubkov said: "We have reaffirmed our rigorous compliance with the commitments made by our presidents in this field."

He also there were good prospects for Russian-Ukrainian cooperation in the nuclear sphere and in power engineering.

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This article goes on to say that while imports from the Ukraine have increased to almost 40%, Russian exports only grew 9%. The latest agreement between the two countries seems to be a way for Russia to undo some of its past wrongs when dealing with Ukraine and perhaps reap some of Ukraine’s trade benefits. The direct link between Gazprom and Naftogaz could create a super gas company that could create a monopoly on fuel in their area and it could cause the price of fuel to fluctuate.

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Russia in Ukraine Missile Threat

Viktor Yushchenko

"Russia has said it may target its missiles at Ukraine if its neighbour joins Nato and accepts the deployment of the US missile defence shield.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made the comments in Moscow alongside Ukraine's President, Viktor Yushchenko.

Mr Putin has condemned US plans to include Poland and the Czech Republic in its missile defence shield.

The leaders had been meeting in urgent talks over a gas dispute and announced a deal to avoid disrupting supplies."

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The rest of the article discusses the other issues Russia is involved in. The countries in Europe are worried that since Russia has agreed to freeze gas prices while Ukraine pays back Gazprom, the prices of gas in Europe will fluctuate. Russia is responding to Ukraine’s attempt to join NATO by developing more high-tech weapons.

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Gazprom Threatens Ukraine Gas Cut

"Russian gas monopoly Gazprom has warned Ukraine it will reduce its gas supplies from next Monday if a $1.5bn (£772m) gas debt is not paid off." They say that this would affect only 25% of the country's total fuel supply.


On Wednesday, Ukraine joined the World Trade Organisation after 14 years of negotiations. Russia is the world's only major economy not to be a member.


This leads to claims Gazprom is also being accused of making this warning for political reasons, but Mr Kochevrin, the Gazprom spokesman, insisted "We're a commercial company: our investors won't understand if our profits fall."


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Lately, Russia's government and businesses have been uncomfortabley chaffing with its surrounding nations and the larger power of the world. Aside from negatively impacting the Ukraine, this act will most likely further the already declining international opinion of Russia.

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Friendship Between Russia and Ukraine Comes to an End

"If Ukraine becomes a NATO member, Russia will be forced to take adequate measures in return. Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement in connection with a letter from the Ukrainian administration to include Ukraine in NATO Membership Action Plan.

“We believe that any country is free to independently choose a way to guarantee its own security, including the expansion of ties with military and political structures,” the statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.
“However, the new radical expansion of NATO may lead to serious military and political changes which will inevitably touch upon Russia’s security interests,” it continued.

The ministry reminded that Russia and Ukraine have been practicing friendly bilateral relations documented in the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership signed in 1997. According to the treaty, the two countries refrain from participating or supporting any actions that could damage their security. In this connection, a possible integration of Ukraine into NATO will seriously complicate Russian-Ukrainian relations. “The Russian administration is led to believe that the current Ukrainian administration views its NATO membership as an alternative to friendly ties with the Russian Federation.

A survey of 2,012 Ukrainians taken in December found that 58.9 percent opposed NATO membership, while 21 percent favored it. The rest of respondents were undecided."

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Russia seems to be on an isolation and alienation rampage. There is a good chance that Ukraine will be another lost ally. Hopefully the two neighboring countries will be able to work out some sort of agreement, or maybe the Ukrainian government will find a way to appease Russia like the U.K. did the other week.

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