EU leaders stop short of sanctions against Russia

European Union leaders tonight moved to condemn Russia’s invasion of Georgia but stopped short of imposing sanctions on Moscow.

An emergency summit of EU leaders in Brussels denounced the “disproportionate” Russian action and the Kremlin’s “unacceptable” recognition of the two breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia at the centre of the conflict.

The leaders did agree to a call by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to freeze negotiations with Moscow on a new EU-Russia strategic partnership but offered little else by way of concrete action.

Mr Brown said the unusual step of calling an emergency summit was in itself “an immensely important signal” of the EU’s determination to ensure justice for Georgia.

Emergency summits have only previously been held over the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“While we do want good relations with Russia, I think it is pretty clear from what has happened over the last few weeks it cannot be business as usual,” Mr Brown told reporters.

“Indeed, it will not be business as usual until things improve.”

In the final communique, the leaders agreed that the EU-Russia strategic partnership talks, due to resume this month, would be postponed pending a “careful, in-depth examination” of relations with Moscow.

“With the crisis in Georgia, relations between the EU and Russia have reached a crossroads,” it said.

“We call on Russia to join with us in making this fundamental choice in favour of mutual interest, understanding and co-operation. We are convinced that it is in Russia’s own interest not to isolate itself from Europe.”

The leaders called for the full implementation of the ceasefire brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy – the current holder of the rotating EU presidency – with the withdrawal of Russian forces to their positions before the crisis broke.

Mr Sarkozy said he would be returning to Moscow and the Georgian capital Tbilisi to continue his mediation efforts between the two sides.

“We will be asking Russia to ensure the full and scrupulous respect of the (ceasefire) plan,” he said.

“The EU would welcome a real partnership with Russia that is in the interests of all, but it takes two to tango. You have to be two to have a partnership. Therefore this crisis means that we have to re-examine our relationship with Russia.”

The leaders also agreed to the appointment of an EU special representative to deal with the crisis and the despatch of a fact-finding mission to the region.

Mr Brown also won support for a renewed effort by the EU to diversify its energy sources in order to reduce its reliance on Russian oil and gas.

Britain, along with Sweden and the former Soviet-bloc states, has been at the forefront of those European nations pressing for tough action against the Russians.

In a newspaper article at the weekend Mr Brown called for a “root and branch” review of the the EU’s relations with Moscow while suggesting that Russia could be frozen out of the EU.

Other EU member states, including France, Germany and Italy, have however been more cautious.

Earlier Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov warned the West to drop its support for Georgia.

He made clear that the Kremlin wanted to see the removal of President Mikhail Saakashvili and called for the imposition of an arms embargo on Georgia until a new government was in place.

He said that it would be a “mistake of historic proportions” for the US and its allies to continue to back what he called the “Saakashvili regime.”