Russia Approves EU Mission to Chad

Russia has approved the deployment of helicopters to bolster an EU peacekeeping force along Chad's border with the Darfur region of Sudan, the Russian defense minister said Tuesday.

The deployment would be the first direct Russian contribution to an EU military mission, an EU official said, though technical and legal details of the plan were still being discussed, and no timeline was announced.


Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has already approved the mission and government funds have been allocated, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said during a visit to Paris.


The EU force's mission to Chad and neighboring Central African Republic is to help limit possible spillover from the fighting in Sudan's western Darfur region. It is expected to be fully deployed by June with 3,800 troops from at least 14 countries.



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Russia has made its first large contribution to an EU military mission by allocating funds and helicopters for a mission in Chad. The Darfur region is in much turmoil right now, and it says something about Russia's foreign relations to allocate a resource such as that and help in the EU.

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Unrest due to EU mission to Kosovo

Russia said on Wednesday, Feb. 20, that sending an EU mission to Kovoso would be a breach of international law, and called the plan symbolic of the West's double standard in recognizing Kosovo's independence from Serbia.

The European Union has already agreed to send a mission to Kosovo, consisting of some 2,000 police officers, justice and customs officials to aid and train authorities there and help stabilize the region following Kosovo's declaration of independence.

Russia on Wednesday said Kosovo's proclamation of independence was a "gross violation" of international law and said the EU mission had no legal basis since the decision was made without approval from the U.N. Security Council.

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Russia is again upset at the actions of the EU over the issue with Kosovo. Due to actions of the EU Russia may become hostile to some of its members or use its power in the UN in the future for its good rather than the good of the world. It will be interesting to see what happens over this violation of international law, and whether or not the EU will face consequences for their actions.

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Russia Upset Over EU Actions

Russia warned yesterday that the European Union would set a dangerous precedent in international law and harm the authority of the United Nations by recognising Kosovo's independence and sending a security mission to Serbia's break-away province.

"It is quite obvious that such a development would create a serious negative precedent from the point of view of international law," Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's ambassador to the EU, told a news briefing. "It will be seen as a precedent by many people, perhaps far too many people, across the world."

Mr Chizhov was speaking shortly after the EU admitted defeat in its efforts to persuade Serbia's government to send a delegation to Brussels today to sign an interim political agreement on free trade and visa liberalisation.

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Russia has in the past opposed Kosovo's independence until all parties involved are satisfied. They have threatened in the past to veto any resolutions that do not satisfy both Belgrade and Kosovo Albanians. They feel that the EU recognizing Kosovo as independent will set a dangerous precedent, which could be dangerous in the future.

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