... — Putin’s goal — but to complete governmental paralysis, and perhaps sustained separatism. And not only Ukraine will suffer.
Europe will suffer, because instability, unpredictability and authoritarianism in its neighbourhood make cooperation impossible. Some of the EU’s Eastern member states, notably the Baltics, perceive Russian meddling in, and control of, Ukraine a hard security threat and feel they could be next on the list — unsurprisingly, as some United Russia ...
It might seem that, Ukraine having decided not to sign a deal with the EU last week in Vilnius, the Union lost the integration contest to Russia. But developments seem to be on the way. In light of the happenings of the past few days, Europe may come out of this better than it would have, had things gone another way.
It has long been known that the talks between the EU and Ukraine should end at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, with the signing of a Free Trade and Association Agreement...
... ‘Russia and the EU: potential for partnership?’, he comments on Estonia’s role in the widening of Russo-European cooperation
Mr Tüür, do you see a certain level of dissent from the pro-EU mainstream in Estonia?
Well, there ... ... fundamental aspects to this question: first, are Estonians unhappy about something, second, is that because of our membership in the European Union? Of course, there are troubles. High youth unemployment, brain drain – primarily into Finland and Sweden ...
... The down-to-earth attitude of business was sceptical about big words of a big future, but they seemed to be aware that wider cooperation is in their best interests.
Dodging the bullet
The most controversy could, no doubt, be expected from the third ... ... straightforwardness of the negotiation process. He assured everyone that business sees the advantages of Eurasian integration.
Hardly so the European Union, you might think. But in an air of gentlemanship and diplomacy, both European Parliament representatives, Libor ...
... environment' as their basis of reasoning. Whatever the rationale, the desired outcomes are similar: tighter economic cooperation, harmonisation of enterprise legislation, lifting of visa barriers and suchlike.
The other sentiment that overshadowed ... ... inducer but the victim of a crisis that has, regrettably but reversibly, slowed down the integration process. But, he said, the European Union is more robust than it is 'fashionable' to admit, and will be a lot stronger in twenty years' ...
