I think you should get to the truth, without any preconceptions. I think none of the articles I have read so far is exactly the picture of truth. My father was for 14 years in the Stalin's camps, but I still do not think this is the picture of truth.

It has a lot of cheap Voice Free Europe preconceptions. I am talking about the recent conflict. About the articles, not about your response.

All the best.

From The Top 10 Stories You Missed in 2008 :

In September, the United States pledged $1 billion in aid to Georgia to help the country recover from its August war with Russia. The money was intended to “help Georgia sustain itself,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said. With several Georgian towns badly damaged by Russian bombing and 20,000 refugees from South Ossetia still unable to return home, there were seemingly many worthy causes for all that cash. So why was $176 million of the aid money earmarked for loans to businesses—including $30 million to a real estate developer for a luxury hotel: the 127,000-square-meter Park Hyatt in downtown Tbilisi, an area that was not at all damaged in the war? The 183-room, five-star hotel will include 70 luxury condominiums, a fine-dining restaurant, conference facilities, and a health spa with juice bar.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. government agency facilitating the loan, is also financing a $40 million office building across the street from the Georgian Parliament building and a $10 million renovation of a historic building into a convention center. ...

Originally written by Jacek K. on September 30, 2008 11:40 AM Originally written by Nanna Mercer on September 30, 2008 11:06 AM  Denmark should develop a security strategy focused on Russia and what should be done if, for example, Russia’s Gazprom buys Denmark’s DONG Energy  Actually, some consider the Italian company to be Gazprom's Trojan Horse in Europe. ... Actually it looks as if the Russian giant is behind most of Eni's recent moves, particularly the acquisitions in the gas business in the four corners of Europe and in northern Africa, and I wouldn't be surprised if Gazprom acquires (or discloses) a big stake in the Italian company in the near future. http://seekingalpha.com/article/97327-is-eni-becoming-gazprom-s-european-twin

Dong is cozying up to Gazprom, but the fears of Eastern Europe are completely unfounded, we are told...Especially now that missile shields won't adorn Poland, you are not to worry one little bit, so let's all dance in the streets and celeberate the good tidings (puke emoticon)

The Danish Energy Agency has approved Russia’s controversial North Stream pipeline across the Baltic. DONG Energy has doubled its orders for Russian gas

Denmark will be officially providing Russia’s giant gas company Gazprom the go-ahead today to lay a controversial pipeline through Danish waters in the Baltic Sea. The approval comes after several months of heavy diplomatic activity between Denmark and Russia, including a personal phone call from the Russian Premier Vladimir Putin to Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

…

Critics of the pipeline say that Russia will use its gas pipeline in the Baltic for strategic reasons.

””Yesterday it was tanks, today it’s oil and gas,” Zbigniew Siemiatkowski, the former head of Poland’s security service tells the New York Times, which adds that the Russian premier put pressure on the government in Copenhagen to approve the project in a recent telephone call to the Danish prime minister.

[…]

Danish authorities have said that they do not have security issues with the pipeline as long as Russia asks permission before inspecting its pipeline in Danish waters.

But Copenhagen University Security Expert Assistant Professor Peter Viggo Jacobsen says the pipeline is without doubt part of Russia’s geo-political policy.

”Russia is doing what it can to be able to run as many pipelines as possible and deliver gas to Europe in order to be able to put pressure on us,” Jacobsen says.

”(The supplies) can be used as pressure when parties disagree and the gas can be stopped. But apart from that Russia also has an interest in earning more money. So there is both a commercial and geo-political interest. It’s a good card to have if you want to get something from the EU,” Jakobsen says.

[…]

North Stream Director Matthias Warnig in Germany tells the New York Times that the fears of Eastern Europe are unfounded …

http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/article812635.ece