EU leaders expect tense meeting with Putin

October 19, 2006|Associated Press

LAHTI, Finland -- Europe's growing dependence on imported oil and gas will dominate a summit of European Union leaders tomorrow, when Russian President Vladimir Putin could make for an uncomfortable dinner guest.

Putin has been courted as a vital energy supplier for the continent but is facing growing criticism about his commitment to democracy and relations with Russia's former Soviet neighbors.

``We must address all issues -- of course human rights and of course rule of law, especially freedom of expression," EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said yesterday in Brussels ahead of his departure for Finland, site of the summit.

Moscow's decision to briefly cut gas supplies last winter during a dispute with Ukraine underscored the EU's reliance on Russian energy when it was already reeling from record prices for Middle Eastern oil.

In response, the EU is seeking a more coordinated energy policy among its 25 members, including sharing energy resources and using their collective clout to negotiate better deals with suppliers.

With Russia sitting on vast fuel deposits, it is small wonder that EU leaders will be wary of upsetting Putin despite their unease over his recent strong-arm tactics in Georgia and a perceived slide toward authoritarianism highlighted by the recent killing of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and other critics of Putin's rule.

Diplomats from Finland said EU leaders would press Putin to conduct a quick and independent investigation of Politkovskaya's murder.