A United Europe

Minus Lithuania. The issue is resuming comprehensive talks with Russia about an entire set of ties, especially energy. This is not necessarily a good thing, in part because it comes amid fresh reports of Russian/Ossetian violations of cease fire agreements in Georgia. It's not that one should not talk to adversaries, if that's what Russia is right now, but it doesn't exactly strengthen one's negotiating position (weak already because of internal divisions and a dependency of Russian natural gas) when you come back to the negotiating table while the other side refuses fully to carry out agreements it made with you only a few months ago. Maybe the fact that winter is around the corner had something to do with this decision? More important, amid the financial and economic turmoil, doesn't Russia need a few things from Europe as well? I wonder if talks to explore the possibility of (real) talks could not have preceded this united action. Of course, for such talks, a united Europe probably could not have been assembled.