The Russia-EU summit downgraded to a short meeting

The Russia-EU summit downgraded to a short meeting 

New Europe 17-Jan-14 

The Russia-EU summits have always been spread over two days, comprising a dinner including Russian president Vladimir Putin, the president of the Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the Council Herman Van Rompuy, and many other EU high officials. 

Initially foreseen for 27-28 January, the “summit" will now consist of a meeting of only a couple of hours. On 28 January, Putin is supposed to arrive by 13.30, and a press conference is already announced for 16.00 h. 

EU officials wouldn't comment on this, but the drastic downgrading of the summit reflects Putin’s displeasure with the EU’s position on Ukraine and on many other issues, including Syria. 

The displeasure is so high, that, as demonstrative gesture, no concrete topic will be discussed during the meeting, leaving the Europeans wondering how to draft the final communique. One formula already circulating is that the participants will proceed to an "in-depth reflection about the EU-Russia relationship". 

During the on-going crisis in Ukraine, the Kremlin, especially through the foreign minister Serghei Lavrov, was vociferously critical of the EU’s “interference” in favour of the Ukrainian opposition, as EU officials regularly appeared on Kiev’s central square in the middle of the demonstrations. 

Putin's discontent with EU the started during the autumn of 2013, when the EU asked Russia to end using trade agreements to block East European nations from seeking closer relations, or signing special trade and association agreements with the bloc. In October, the EU foreign ministers even discussed possible trade measures to be considered against Russia in response to political and economic pressure exerted by Moscow on East European nations. 

European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Štefan Füle even said then that “Russia's pressure on Ukraine in the issue of signing the Association Agreement with the European Union is unacceptable”, an unusually harsh statement by Commission’s standards. 

Putin is known to take personal offence to any criticism against Russian politics. Gone are the times when Schroeder, or Tony Blair, or especially Berlusconi, were cavorting with their personal friend Vladimir Putin. The former Communist countries that entered the EU brought a radical change in perception. Even the recent collapse of the European Nabucco gas project in favour of the Russian South Stream pipeline should be placed in this context.