The EU got no closer to getting its hands on Russian gas pipelines at a mild-mannered meeting in Sochi, on the Black Sea coast, with both sides exchanging blandishments and Moscow subtly underlining its new sense of self-confidence.
"If our European partners expect us to let them into the most sacred part of our economy - energy - then we expect the same steps from them in the most critical and important areas for our development," Russian president Vladimir Putin said.
"The que...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.