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Ahto Lobjakas

Also by Ahto Lobjakas

September 26, 2008
The EU's Conflicted Interests

Having emerged as the principal mediator in the Russian-Georgian conflict, the EU now finds itself on the horns of a dilemma, balancing its positive relations with energy supplier Russia against its own credibility in defending Georgia's territorial integrity.
September 19, 2008
EU, Central Asia's Marriage Of Convenience

A meeting of foreign ministers from the European Union and Central Asia took place on September 18 in Paris, and the fact that it was the first time the two groups have ever met speaks volumes about the sensitive nature of the two regions' relationship.
September 16, 2008
Uzbekistan Presses EU To End Sanctions

With the European Union preparing to review its currently suspended visa ban and arms embargo on Uzbekistan in October, the country's foreign minister has said the bloc is guilty of "double standards" for penalizing the country for shortcomings that uniformly afflict the entire Central Asian region.
September 16, 2008
EU, Kazakhstan Discuss Relations

EU and Kazakh officials have met in Brussels to discuss energy cooperation, the Russian-Georgian conflict, and other issues of mutual interest. The annual EU-Kazakh meeting brought no breakthroughs, although Brussels' interest in the Central Asian country's vast oil and natural-gas reserves was apparent.
September 15, 2008
EU Names New Envoy For Georgia Crisis

The move comes as the bloc's members struggle to find unity amid sharp disagreements over how to redefine the bloc's relationship with Moscow in the wake of the Russia-Georgia war.
September 14, 2008
No NATO Offer For Georgia Expected

As NATO ambassadors arrive in Tbilisi, the alliance is caught between a desire to reassure Georgia but also to avoid a definitive break with Russia. Recent signals from Brussels suggest Georgia -- and similar hopeful Ukraine -- are unlikely to receive premembership plans, at least in the foreseeable future.
September 12, 2008
After Georgia, The Breaking Of Europe

The European Union is in danger of becoming the greatest long-term casualty of the Russian-Georgian conflict.
September 09, 2008
EU Secures Russian Withdrawal, At Cost To Georgia

The new agreement came at a high price for Georgia -- Tbilisi had to sign away the right to use force in either Abkhazia or South Ossetia -- effectively giving up its sovereignty over the two separatist provinces.
September 08, 2008
Ukraine Likely To Remain On Europe's Fringes

The European Union is set to turn down a Ukrainian request for a long-term EU membership prospect. Ukraine has long pressed the EU to recognize it as a "European" country. But some EU member states are strongly opposed to welcoming any new entrants, wherever they are.
September 06, 2008
EU Stakes Hopes On Sarkozy's Mission To Moscow

For the time being, unity is arguably the European Union's most potent weapon in its standoff with Russia.
August 31, 2008
Will EU Blink First?

Ahead of an emergency EU summit on the Russia-Georgia conflict, some members are arguing for continued dialogue, while others talk of sanctions. But does Brussels have any means at its disposal likely to dent Moscow's resolve at this stage in its standoff with the West?
August 26, 2008
EU Overwhelmed By Russian 'Cut-And-Thrust' In Georgia

The European Union will convene an emergency summit on September 1 to assess Russia's compliance with the cease-fire with Georgia. Moscow's entrenchment of its military presence in Georgia proper and its recognition of the separatist provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia have angered many member states, so the EU must decide whether and how to up the ante in its standoff with Russia.
August 20, 2008
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Official Says No 'Carte Blanche' For Russia

The U.S. ambassador to NATO says that Russian peacekeepers must leave any "buffer zones" in Georgia adjacent to South Ossetia as soon as the OSCE deploys its mission of military observers. He also says the United States will help Georgia rebuild its military in the wake of its war with Russia.
August 19, 2008
NATO Tells Moscow To Keep Its Word In Georgia, Or Else

NATO's foreign ministers, in Brussels for an extraordinary meeting, have said in a statement that they "cannot continue with business as usual" in their relations with Russia unless Moscow honors its pledge to pull its troops out of Georgia. The alliance also dispatched missions to Georgia with a view to contributing to the reconstruction of the civilian -- and possibly also military -- infrastructure destroyed by Russian forces.
August 18, 2008
NATO Attempts Balancing Act Over Georgia-Russia Conflict

NATO is struggling to maintain a balance between Eastern European allies seeking a tough response to Russia's invasion of Georgia, and the more conciliatory tone advocated by Germany, France, and some other Western European nations.
August 14, 2008
The EU Enters Russia's 'Parallel Universe'

Nearly all of the rhetoric used by Moscow to justify its actions in the war with Georgia is derived from Western historical thinking and practice -- only put "through the looking-glass."
August 13, 2008
EU Puts Mediation Above Recriminations Over Georgia

The EU has shrugged off pressure from Poland, the Baltic countries, and Britain to take a tougher stand against Russia's invasion of Georgia.
August 13, 2008
NATO Says Georgia's Membership Prospects Intact

NATO has come out strongly in support of Georgia in its conflict with Russia.
July 30, 2008
Karadzic In The Hague A Victory For EU Values

The arrival of Radovan Karadzic in The Hague serves as an important vindication for the EU. It shows that reconciliation, not just force, can bring justice. But it also highlights the complex problems the EU faces in attempting to bring about change in difficult neighborhoods such as the western Balkans.
July 23, 2008
Brussels Censures Romania, Bulgaria For Corruption

A series of reports released by the European Commission sharply criticize the EU's newest members, Bulgaria and Romania, for high levels of corruption. The situation is especially stark in Bulgaria, where the EU has suspended some aid payments, arguing the authorities there have failed to prevent large-scale fraud or prosecute the perpetrators.

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