Europe press slams Putin in "gas war"

By Aussiegirl

Predictably, Putin's ham-handed shot across the bow with the shutoff of the European gas pipeline, has instead ricocheted and shot him in the foot instead. Here is a sampling of world opinion:

CNN.com - Europe press slams Putin in 'gas war' - Jan 3, 2006

Russian President Vladimir Putin was irresponsible and spiteful to cut gas supplies to Ukraine and has resurrected Cold War-style fear and mistrust of Moscow abroad, European newspapers said on Tuesday.

Many said the row over how much Kiev pays for gas from its eastern neighbour could only be solved by a step-by-step price rise, not the fourfold hike Russia's Gazprom monopoly demands.

Wary of Europe's dependence on Russian gas and oil, some papers asked if more nuclear power might be the way out.

Russia said on Tuesday it had restored gas supplies but the new-year blockade on what was once part of its Soviet empire -- a move which also hit supplies to other countries -- has unnerved the rest of the continent.

"Europe thought the Cold War was over with after the end of the Soviet Union," said the left-leaning French Liberation.

"Now it's caught in the crossfire between Russia and Ukraine and discovers the Kremlin can brandish the energy weapon with as much if not more devastating effect than it used to do with its nuclear weapons."

London's Financial Times said the tactics Russia deployed against its far weaker neighbour were irresponsible and tarnished its image just as it takes over the presidency of the G8 club of industrial powers for the first time.

"Mr. Putin is taking revenge on Ukraine for the triumph of Viktor Yushchenko, the West-oriented president," it said. He won elections in 2004 and ousted the pro-Kremlin candidate.

Wider frustration
Irritation with Russia's record on democracy and frustration with excessive Kremlin influence over the economy was evident across the board, with comment that Russia was let into the G8 for the sake of stability after the collapse of the Soviet Union -- not for its democratic or market credentials.

"You cannot seriously preach democracy to Russia if you are on the drip feed of Russia's oil," said Austria's Die Presse.

French business daily La Tribune said there was little difference between flexing economic might and sending the tanks in to quell disloyalty as in Soviet times.

"Instead of using the persuasive power of tanks as was once the case in Budapest and Prague ... Putin's Russia is today using the economic weapon in the same unscrupulous manner to bring to their knees those who refuse their allegiance," it said. The Paris-based International Herald Tribune accused Putin of turning trade into a political weapon, in an analysis calling Moscow's behaviour "spiteful and unwise".

Britain's Independent said the saga had the "whiff of a dangerous and unstable world."

Ironically, after oil prices hit records in August, Putin chose to make security of energy supply a priority of Russia's first turn leading the G8, whose other members are the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada.

Some Italian newspapers focused on debate there over the need to return to nuclear power, while French officials seized on the matter to justify France's decision to invest heavily in nuclear power after the oil crises of the 1970s.