EUobserver: Khodorkovsky: Georgia war could bring EU and Russia closer - by Philippa Runner
Khodorkovsky: Georgia war could bring EU and Russia closer - by Philippa Runner
Russia's invasion of Georgia could be followed by a Kremlin effort to mend ties with the West. But the EU has to pull the Russian elite closer without losing sight of its own values, according to fallen oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovksy.
Mr Khodorkovksy praised France for handling the Georgia crisis with understanding for the "nuances" of Russia's post-imperial problems, urging the EU not to try and dominate Russia but not to lapse into value-free realpolitik either. "To live on the same continent, to deepen interdependence without sharing the same values is impossible. The only way is the mutual integration of our elites in respect of the basic rules enshrined in our national constitutions and European treaties."
