Pave: Uncondemnable VI Redux

Le jour 476 de Sarko

Talk is cheap and a commodity of which France has a limitless supply. This works for Russia because the big old bear doesn't listen and doesn't care as long as it gets what it wants, which a meek EU won't deny them.

Posted by Damian at 04:30 PM

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We have to find a balance. The balance is between tough talk and economic consequences. My stance is yes to tough talk. No to economic consequences.

Alexander Stubb,
Finnish Foreign Minister,
defining a balance of all of one and none of the other,
BRUSSELS September 1, 2008 (Telegraph)

RUSSIA LIES, FRANCE COMPLIES
Lies Are Just Another Version Of The Facts

The cheap talk:

Nous condamnons sans ambiguïté la réaction disproportionnée des Russes, et nous sommes conscients de notre responsabilité dans le maintien du dialogue avec nos voisins russes.

[We condemn without ambiguity the disproportionate reaction of the Russians, and we are aware of our responsibility in maintaining dialogue with our Russian neighbors.]

Sarko,
Président de la République,
condemning the Russians to French dialogue
September 1, 2008 (Le Monde/AFP/Reuters)

[Hat tip: Zoomerx]

There is no point to talking tough, to condemnation, if it has no correspondent instrumentality. Russia blows off Euro tough talk, because, really, who cares what Europa thinks? Who cares about its diplomatic faints and disappointments? Not Russia. Russia concerns itself with only one thing, what will the other side materially do?

In the case of Europa, sputter and maintain dialogue.

EU HAS NO UNITY ON RUSSIA

September 1, 2008 (MINA) - Russia shrugged off the prospect of strong words from the EU, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisting the Georgia campaign had set a standard for how Moscow would defend its interests in future.

"In light of Russia's actions we should suspend negotiations on a successor to the partnership and cooperation agreement," a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters in London before leaving for the half-day Brussels summit.

Brown's remarks contrasted sharply with a conciliatory tone in Paris, where Prime Minister Francois Fillon said President Nicolas Sarkozy would embark on new mediation between Georgia and Russia and seek to pursue dialogue with the Kremlin. M. Fillon:

Either we want to relaunch the Cold War, point our finger at Russia, isolate it and stamp on it as was the case for a decade -- that is not the choice of France or Europe -- or we choose the option of dialogue.

And were Germany to cross the Meuse today, France wouldn't even bother with a bumbling defense, instead she would busily organize summits, conferences, and tea parties inviting the Führerbegleitbataillons to join them in dialogue.

PFFT (What is this?): Cheap talk 5 (There is no higher rating.) | Rayonnement français 0 (There is no lower rating.)