Baltiska staterna och Polen fördömer rysk imperialism

Presidenterna i de baltiska staterna

och Polen fördömde på lördagen i

starka ordalag den ryska aggressionen

mot Georgien och uppmanade NATO

och EU att motsätta sig den.

The former Soviet republics of Latvia, Lithuania and

Estonia and Poland, a client state of Moscow under

communism, are wary of a resurgent Russia using

its muscle to again dominate its neighbours.

**
"The European Union and NATO must take up

the initiative and oppose the spread of imperialist

and revisionist policy in the east of Europe,"

said the statement from the presidents of the

four countries.

**
The appeal followed Russia's bombing of Georgia

in the conflict over South Ossetia, where Russian

troops are backing separatists fighting a Georgian

attempt to bring the territory under control.

Georgia is another former Soviet state.
Moscow accuses Georgia of aggression and says it

is protecting its citizens in South Ossetia.

**
The statement from Poland and the Baltic

countries said they would use every available

means to ensure that Moscow's "aggression

against a small state in Europe is not passed

over in silence or with meaningless statements

equating the victims with the perpetrators."

**
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has said the

conflict with the Russians could have consequences

elsewhere.
"They have claims to Crimea, in Ukraine, they have

claims to some parts of the Baltic countries, they

have claims to some parts of eastern Europe.

If you know, they have a free hand and free rights

here in Georgia everybody will be unsafe,"

Saakashvili said in the Georgian capital Tbilisi

yesterday.

***

(Times of Malta)