Poles and Balts seek tough EU stance on Russia

By Gareth Jones - Analysis

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland and the ex-Soviet Baltic states hope to stiffen the EU's backbone in its stance on Russia at an emergency summit next week, but fear Europe's heavy reliance on Russian energy will dilute the bloc's message.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski, an outspoken critic of Moscow's assault on Georgia, flew to Estonia on Thursday to try to hammer out a joint position with the three Baltic republics ahead of next Monday's summit in Brussels.

"Today it is essential that the EU speaks with one voice that is strong and firm (on Georgia)," said Slawomir Novak, a senior aide to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Estonia's President Toomas Ilves called for a review of the whole relationship with Russia, saying a partnership and cooperation accord now under negotiation should be shelved.

"The hope that this crisis will simply pass and that we can go back to business as usual is very naive," he said in Berlin this week.

"It is utopian to think of a partnership agreement with Russia now. If Georgia's territorial integrity is not guaranteed, then we're thrown back 40 years," he said.

EU heavyweights France and Germany, have also upbraided Moscow over its military actions, its failure to recall all its troops from Georgia after a French-brokered ceasefire and its recognition of the independence of two rebel Georgian provinces.

But Paris, Berlin and Italy too have also stressed the need to maintain strong ties with Moscow, Europe's top energy supplier, sparking fears among ex-communist states that the EU will manage only tough rhetoric that lets Moscow off the hook.