ESTONIA
The press says the expansion of Russian border zones hampers international cooperation in firefighting in Russia. "The expansion of Russia's border zones became an obstacle to Finnish firefighters who wanted to assist their counterparts across the border. The border guards, who are under the Federal Security Service, prohibited this. The wind sent the smoke right into Finland." (Eesti Paevaleht, August 12).
"Russians said they had the situation under control... It turns out that we, who are suffering from the smoke, can demand nothing. Russia has the situation under control - and we breathe in the fumes." (Pohjarannik, August 11).
LATVIA
Now that Russian energy giant Gazprom and the Algerian company Sonatrach have signed a memorandum of cooperation, Europe is getting increasingly alarmed at Russia's dominance of the European gas market. "A consortium may soon emerge that will control some 40% of the EU's gas imports and dictate its own terms and prices... Europe has reasons for alarm: Russia and Algeria remain the largest natural gas suppliers to Europe beside Norway, which means a gas OPEC may finally materialize... The European Union is already powerless and has no alternative to Russian gas." (Business & Baltija, August 10).
LITHUANIA
The local press remains focused on the disruption to supplies of Russian oil to the Mazeikiu Nafta refinery. The media believe the reason is Moscow's political revenge, not a problem with the Druzhba oil pipeline.
"It's hard to believe that the strategic pipeline is in a condition that necessitates its closure for up to a year. Experts tend to believe that Russia's reference to a lengthy repair is an attempt to persuade PKN Orlen to lower the cost of Mazeikiu Nafta. The Kremlin has been seeking to snatch MN, an asset of the bankrupt oil company Yukos." (Veidas, August 14).
UKRAINE
The press is criticizing the new fuel and energy minister, Yury Boiko, who analysts say will gradually transfer Ukraine's gas and oil assets to Russia in exchange for cheaper gas.
"Gazprom will of course not get all the pipelines at once. In 2007, Boiko plans to transfer 60% of Ukraine's gas transportation system to Russia, and these will be the most lucrative 'slices' connecting Russia with the West. In 2008, Boiko will give Gazprom the remaining 40%. So, we will swap pipelines and sovereignty for cheap gas." (Provokatsiya, August 9).
Political scientists say Russian secret services are directly involved in the Ukrainian crisis. "At negotiations in the past few weeks agreements reached in the evening were repeatedly reconsidered in the morning, when politicians shared new versions of the documents... Russian secret services have been active in Ukraine of late, which directly concerns our national security." (Delo, August 11).
The press also accuses Russian raiders of threatening Ukraine's national security. "Experts say that Russian companies control up to a third of the Ukrainian economy. The situation may get critical after a while, when the country's government will find it impossible to manage the economy." (Podrobnosti.ua, August 10).
MOLDOVA
The media accuse the country's president of "capitulating" during his Moscow meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Why ... did Voronin go to Moscow only to capitulate? There are a few reasons... First, Voronin is afraid to lose power and has an ambition to secure his party another mandate in office. Voronin understands only too well that this would be impossible without Russia's support. Second, Voronin is slightly disappointed with the West, which chose to support Saakashvili instead." (Timpul de diminyatse, August 11).
ARMENIA
The media are writing about the settlement ending the political crisis in Ukraine. They describe the decision by the Ukrainian president to offer the post of prime minister to Viktor Yanukovych as an achievement of Orange democracy.
"Yushchenko made Solomon's decision. He did what no politician of Putin's schooling could even imagine doing... Yanukovych's appointment to the position of prime minister is yet another tangible accomplishment of the Orange, or democratic, revolution... One thing is when Yanukovych becomes the president of the whole nation under obvious pressure from Moscow in rigged elections, and the other is when the legitimate president appoints him of his own free will... The new political logic will allow Prime Minister Yanukovych to be much less vulnerable to threats from Moscow. He will be much more effective at using his objective experience and knowledge in the interests of Ukraine." (Aravot, August 9).
GEORGIA
Articles about the situation in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict are sounding the alarm. "The enemy is threatening the country from the north and the west. After the operation in the Kodori Gorge, Abkhazia is refusing to continue talks, and is making threats. For its part, Russia is openly shaking its fist and staging provocations (in South Ossetia)... One spark is enough for Georgia to go up in flames." (Sakartvelos Respublica, August 12).
"We are facing a real threat of a big war with Russia." (Rezonansi, August 12).
"Russia is preparing for more hostilities in the Caucasus." (Georgia Online, August 14).
The media perceive as base ingratitude the words of Chechen President Alu Alkhanov to the effect that if the conflict intensifies, North Caucasian volunteers may help the Abkhazians.
"Alkhanov is a puppet of Russia and a slave of Ramzan Kadyrov... A political nonentity, he has passed a wet sponge over everything the Georgians have done for their Chechen neighbors. Credit for the existence of Chechnya as a nation largely goes to Georgia. It has forgiven the Chechens for what they did in Abkhazia (in 1992-1993 Shamil Basayev's Chechen battalion took an active part in hostilities on Abkhazia's side). It saved tens of thousands of refugees from certain death when Moscow was establishing 'constitutional order' in Chechnya... There was no compensation for anything from the Chechens. They were not even remotely grateful... After all its good deeds, the Chechen president dares to speak to Georgia in a menacing tone." (Akhali Taoba, August 10).
AZERBAIJAN
The media are criticizing the policy of Russian oil-transportation companies. "Moscow has cut by half the rates for the transit of crude oil and oil products from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to the coast of the Black Sea in order to sidetrack customers from alternative routes which bypass Russia... An industry source said that in this way Russia hopes to redirect to itself 250,000 metric tons of oil a month from the Azeri-Georgian route... Russia has also offered a 48% discount for the transportation of Kazakhstan's oil to the Russian port of Kavkaz and Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea." (Echo, August 10).
The press continues writing about the Gabal radar station, which Russia rents from Azerbaijan. "Russia is being showered with accusations that by using the Gabal radar it is doing irreparable damage to the environment of Azerbaijan and the health of the local population... After the Soviet Union's disintegration, a similar station was destroyed in the Baltics and the construction of a radar in Ukraine was suspended. Azerbaijan is the only post-Soviet republic where a radar station has remained intact." (Zerkalo, August 12).
KAZAKHSTAN
The press is accusing Russia of having been swept by spy mania in the last few years. This not only discredits Russia in the world arena, but may also lead to a massive brain drain and further slow down the advancement of innovation technologies.
"The Russian security services have launched spy-hunting season. The primary suspects are military men or scientists who are or were dealing with space technologies. In 2005, 100 spies were exposed in Russia, whereas in Soviet times, catching one spy per year was considered a big success... Experts believe that the desire of Federal Security Service (FSB) agents to expose spies more and more often results in numerous violations of procedures during preliminary investigations... Despite the FSB's unfair practices, which generate patently poor evidence, Russian courts acquit the defendants in spy cases very rarely."
(Liter.kz, August 11).
KYRGYZSTAN
The media claim that Russia may lose its leadership of the CIS in per capita GDP purchasing power, yielding it to Kazakhstan. "Recently, the CIS Interstate Statistical Committee (CISSTAT) summarized the results of socioeconomic development in the first six months of this year. It appears that in growth rate, the Russian economy ranks seventh in the CIS. Although the official figures for Kazakhstan were quoted only for the first quarter, it is clear that its economy is developing faster than the Russian one. Despite the fact that this year Kazakhstan ranks third or fourth in GDP growth rate, it may surpass Russia in per capita GDP purchasing power if it continues to grow at the same pace." (Obshchestvenny reiting, August 9).
UZBEKISTAN
The opposition press doubts that the Russian-based Free Uzbekistan site was shut down for its failure to pay for the domain name, as the official version goes. It is blaming the pro-Karimov Russian authorities for persecuting all those who are displeased with the regime in the republic.
"When this project was launched four years ago, relations between Russia and Uzbekistan were quite chilly (Uzbekistan had made friends with the United States). The media of both countries were dragging each other through the mud... Now Putin's authoritarian regime and Karimov's bloody dictatorship are locked in a deadly embrace... The Russian authorities are harassing, torturing and deporting Uzbeks. Russian-based independent sites are next in line." (Musulmansky Uzbekistan, August 14).
