Russia Warns That It Will Respond To Any Agrression

The words are heating up primarily between Europeans and the Russians as some members of the EU are trying to take a tough stance on Russia's invastion of Georgia. Here's some of the details of Russia's warning here at Reuters:

"Russia does not want confrontation with any country. Russia does not plan to isolate itself," Medvedev said in an interview with Russia's three main television stations.
But he added: "Everyone should understand that if someone launches an aggressive sortie, he will receive a response." He said Russian law allowed the Kremlin to impose sanctions on other states, though it preferred not to go down that path.

One of the toughest critics of Russia right now is Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown who said this:

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Russia's intervention in Georgia was dangerous and unacceptable.
"In the light of Russian actions, the EU should review -- root and branch -- our relationship with Russia," Brown wrote in a comment published in Britain's Observer newspaper.

Now, too many of the Europeans are too indebted to Russia for their natural gas and oil needs to make any real sanction type moves but I am fairly impressed by the tough talk coming out of Britain's Prime Minister.

And I think Russia's Medvedev is second-guessing some of the manuevers the Russians made in the conflict. Even if the Europeans continue as usual with their importing of Russian oil and gas, those same Europeans hold some pretty powerful financial links in Russia and by playing a game of it, they could hurt Russia at a time when she was starting to see some daylight.

Russia warns it will respond to "aggression"

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia does not want confrontation with the West but will hit back if attacked, Kremlin leader Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday, a day before EU leaders meet to draft a response to Moscow's actions in Georgia.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would press fellow European Union leaders to review ties with Russia in retaliation for Moscow's decision to send troops to Georgia and recognize two Georgian breakaway regions.
But underlining the differences in approach inside the 27-member EU, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier took a softer line, saying isolating Russia would harm the interests of the bloc.
A senior U.S. diplomat said Washington hoped the EU would express concrete support for Georgia's territorial integrity, and urged Europe to reduce its dependence on Russian energy.
Medvedev faces growing condemnation from the West, which accuses Russia of occupying parts of Georgia, while the Kremlin said it acted to prevent what it called genocide against the separatist regions.
"Russia does not want confrontation with any country. Russia does not plan to isolate itself," Medvedev said in an interview with Russia's three main television stations.
But he added: "Everyone should understand that if someone launches an aggressive sortie, he will receive a response." He said Russian law allowed the Kremlin to impose sanctions on other states, though it preferred not to go down that path.
GEORGIAN CALL
Georgia urged the European Union to impose sanctions against those doing business with the two separatist regions, authorize a civilian mission to monitor buffer zones around them and give Tbilisi about $2 billion to help to help repair damage.
"Europe can do a lot, starting with sending a mission of civilian monitors, which would lead to an international peacekeeping mechanism that would replace the presence of Russian troops," Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze told Reuters in Brussels.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Russia's intervention in Georgia was dangerous and unacceptable.
"In the light of Russian actions, the EU should review -- root and branch -- our relationship with Russia," Brown wrote in a comment published in Britain's Observer newspaper.
The German foreign minister said Moscow deserved criticism but Europe needed cooperation with Russia.
"Europe would only be hurting itself if we were to get full of emotion and slam all the doors shut to the rooms that we will want to enter afterwards," Steinmeier said.
Russia supplies more than a quarter of Europe's gas needs. Some observers say this makes tough EU sanctions unlikely.