Saturday, December 31, 2005

Boycott Russian Goods!

Yuschenko:
``Why does Turkey pay $100 per thousand cubic meters, the Baltic countries pay $110, the Caucasus pays $100, and Ukraine, which is Russia's closest neighbor, must pay $230?''



Michael Thumann in Die Zeit from 29 December 2005 answers:
Yushchenko annoys the Russians in a variety of ways. The emphasis on independence (which many Russians find difficult to accept), the substantially democratic conditions in the country, the striving to join the West, the advances to the EU - all this is not consistent with the rules of behaviour that the Kremlin to this day prescribes for its onetime satellites. But Moscow is especially sensitive about the negotiations between Kyiv and Washington over a closer co-operation with NATO, leading to membership. And NATO is the picture of the enemy, no matter how many agreements have been signed to calm Russia.

The natural gas account gives Vladimir Putin a perfect method to apply pressure, by means of which the Ukrainians are to be stopped from forming close ties to the West. Stay away from NATO in exchange for a slow rise in the gas price - wouldn't that be a deal? And in case the regime in Kyiv doesn't give in, it will eventually fall on its own over the energy prices and their consequences. Gazprom's pricing is the continuation of the Kremlin's politics by other means... The example of Ukraine should teach caution to all of Europe.

The above illustration (via http://www.livejournal.com/users/khoma/29228.html ) is part of a drive to boycott Russian goods as a result of Russia's gas blackmail. Spread the word - Don't buy Russian goods! And to the G7 - Are you on drugs.... G8?!? Russia chairing?!? Come on people - wake up and smell the gas!

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