The EU avoided criticising Russia's human rights policy in Chechnya yesterday during a difficult summit meeting in Moscow. There was little progress made in easing strained relations.
Despite mounting concern over reports of atrocities in the war, and an EU motion last month demanding independent investigators be let into the province, the subject was barely mentioned in three hours of talks.
The European Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, said he had "nothing to add" to a joint statement with Russia which did not mention human rights, calling only for a "political solution" to the 19-month-old war. The leader of the EU summit team, the Swedish Prime Minister, Mr Goran Persson, admitted the talks with President Putin were tough: "It was built on a frank dialogue, a rather hard debate."
President Putin sounded upbeat, saying afterwards: "Russia is ready for a joint search with the EU for responses to global threats and challenges, as well as ways to solve regional conflicts." But this does not extend to Russia's regional conflict in Chechnya. The EU delegation failed to get a firm promise from Russia to allow monitors into the province.
Human rights officers were dismayed: "It's quite alarming what the EU is doing," said Human Rights Watch official Mr Diederik Lohman. "They have a lot of evidence that Russians are committing war crimes and not investigating them. Nothing is happening because the Russians don't feel pressurised to do anything. The EU is spineless on this issue."
Russia remains at odds with the EU over key issues. It is angry that EU members, especially Germany, will not give it longer to pay back loans. And it is suspicious of support by some EU members for the eastward expansion of NATO.
Agreement was reached on allowing the EU to send more money to Russia as aid. The EU will begin paying Russia to clean up its rotting stockpiles of nuclear fuel. Money will also be increased to feed Chechnya's refugees, and cash will be given to the poverty-stricken enclave of Kaliningrad, which is soon to be sandwiched between two new EU members, Poland and Lithuania.