European Union leaders gather in Brussels in an emergency session today to review their stance on Russia’s invasion of Georgia. It's the first emergency EU meeting since the run-up to the Iraq war in 2003. With conflicting positions from the UK, France and Germany, analysts say the summit will likely produce support for Georgia and a major rethink on European ties with Russia—but no radical changes, reports the Guardian.
The UK is pushing for a strong EU response, including freezing Russia's membership in the G8, but France fears that sanctions could provoke retaliation from tough-talking Moscow. The German reaction has been mixed, reflecting current fractures within the country’s national government. Russia supplies Europe with a third of its oil and 40% of its gas—but Moscow officials have said they won’t play the energy card in dealings with Europe. (More European Union stories.)