Finnish Myopia: How easy is it to ignore the US while critiquing Russia

EU President Lambasts Russia In Parting Speech

BRUSSELS -(Dow Jones)- The European Union's outgoing Finnish presidency lashed out Monday against Russia, saying Moscow's actions are a "cause for concern."

Speaking to the European Parliament at the end of his country's six-month E.U. presidency, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen regretted a failure to strengthen European policy toward Russia.

"Russia is important for the E.U., we are bound together by many ties but it is fair to say that certain trends in Russia give us cause for concern," he said. "I am not altogether sure that Russia is heading in the right direction. We need to see a firmer commitment to democracy, the rule of law and the market economy. We do not want Russia to go in an authoritarian direction."

The E.U.'s problems with Vladimir Putin's Russia are both political and economic. European Union leaders have criticized the Russian leader about the recent murders of journalists, most recently Anna Politkovskaya.

They also have opposed Russian moves to keep out foreign investors in Russian energy and wondered about the reliability of Russia as an energy supplier. Last winter, Russia cut off its supplies of gas through Ukraine, causing shortages throughout Western Europe.

But the Europeans have failed to come up with a common approach to Moscow. Poland, which wants to take a tough line, last month vetoed the start of talks on a new E.U.-Russia framework agreement. On Monday, Vanhanen urged the E.U. to come up with a common policy.

"Russia is an acid test of the E.U.'s unity," the Finnish prime minister said. "If no common agreement is possible, then I am afraid the short-termist fall- back option is a network of bilateral agreements that would enable Russia to treat different member states in different ways. Some will get good agreements, some will get bad ones and some may get no agreement at all."

Separately, the Finnish leader used harsh language to criticize the Russian ally Belorussia, calling the autocratic regime there a black hole and "a disgrace to Europe."

The Finnish leader also emphasized that last week's decision to suspend part of Turkey's E.U. entry negotiations didn't close the door to eventual membership.

"I want to stress that Turkey's future is in the European Union," he said. " The process may have slowed down for a while but the final destination is unchanged."

Original article posted here.