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#18 - JRL 2008-151 - JRL Home
USA will not exert economic or political pressure on Russia - pundits
Interfax

Moscow, 15 August: Russian political analysts believe that Western countries, the USA among them, will not pass from psychological and information pressure on Russia to real sanctions in relation to the events in South Ossetia.

Gleb Pavlovskiy, president of the Effective Policy Foundation, told at news conference today that the USA, which in his opinion was behind Georgia in developing the conflict situation on the Caucasus wanted to introduce "a consulting element" into the relations between Russia and the European Union as part of its aims.

"We (Russia) should help the EU not to become the US rear guard along the anti-Russian direction", Pavlovskiy said.

Talking about losing the information war is absolutely improper, he believes. "Russia has not lost the information war. We could stand on our heads, but the reaction of the West would not change," Pavlovskiy added.

In his turn, political analyst Aleksandr Dugin believes that "the whole arsenal of means that the USA could use against Russia, both economic and political, has now been used in one way or another".

"At present the USA may put only psychological pressure on Russia," Dugin said. Some American analysts are expressing similar views, he added.

Russia should not expect any economic or political sanctions, he believes: "No hard will be done to us. We are under no threat. Russia will be under political blackmail."

At the same time, he believes that after the latest events in South Ossetia many states will heighten their interest in Russia as a strong partner.