The EU-Russia Summit, which took place in Khabarovsk on the 21st and 22nd of May, was an opportunity to discuss and tackle issues such as the economic crisis, climate change and last but not least energy security. The discussions between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, President Jose Manuel Barroso, Benita Ferrero- Waldner (External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy), Baroness Catherine Ashton (Trade Commissioner) and Andris Piebalgs (Commissioner for Energy) did not go as expected. Moscow accused the EU of creating dividing lines by offering closer ties to six former Soviet republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). Mr Medvedev highlighted in a press conference ‘We would not want the Eastern Partnership to turn into partnership against Russia. There are various examples. I would simply not want this partnership to consolidate certain individual states, which are of an anti-Russian bent, with other European states’.

Concerning the domain of energy, the Russian president questioned Ukraine’s ability to pay its gas stocks, proposing that it borrow from his country and the EU. In contrast, Mr Barroso stated ‘We are open to discussing new proposals, but we should rely on existing agreements. We should not question the present energy security system in Europe’.

Image : European Commission Audiovisual Service