EU Holds Emergency Summit on Georgia

No sanctions or radical changes expected
By Jess Kilby,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 1, 2008 2:53 AM CDT
EU Holds Emergency Summit on Georgia
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner addresses the media at the EU Council headquarters in Brussels, on Aug. 13, 2008.    (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

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.)

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