There’s no reference to sanctions, but the draft statement says that relations between the EU and Russia are at a crossroads.

Nicolas Sarkozy said the meeting will play a key role in the relations between Russia and the European Union.

The announcement was made after further discussions on a partnership deal between Europe and Russia were postponed at the EU summit. At an extraordinary summit in Brussels, the leaders condemned Russia’s actions in the Caucasus, but promised to maintain contacts with Moscow and continue existing ties.

Moscow says it regrets the European Union’s decision to put off talks on a basic Russia-EU agreement.

“If the talks about the basic document have indeed been put off, there is nothing else we can do but express our regret,” a Russian Foreign Ministry source told Interfax.

Vladimir Putin commented on the aftermath of the EU summit during his stay in Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

“We know that there were many emotional, radical and even extremist statements made prior to the summit. Fortunately, common sense prevailed. No radical decisions were made. That’s very good.”

Humanitarian aid to victims of the conflict

On Monday, Nicolas Sarkozy said the EU would also call an international reconstruction conference for Georgia. The EU will also provide economic assistance to Georgia. The European Commission has so far provided 7 million euros to Georgia. Another 9 million euros have been provided by individual EU countries.

For his part, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said on Monday that he was extremely concerned over the situation in the region and that he was maintaining permanent contact with representatives of all the involved sides. The UN chief also noted that officials of the organisation’s structural units are ready for active work to distribute humanitarian aid.

“I have made it quite clear that the UN stands ready to provide good offices and also we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected people, including in South Ossetia,” the UN chief was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The aftermath of the EU summit

Although the EU has condemned Russia’s actions, it seems not all of its members share the same opinion.

In an interview with Austrian 01 TV channel on Monday the country’s Chancellor Alfred Guzenbauer said the Union should not play the role of judge in the conflict between Russia and Georgia.

“To be a judge in the conflict between Russia and Georgia is no role for Austria and the European Union,” Guzenbauer said.

He noted at the same time that “Georgia’s territorial integrity, taking into consideration all the errors made by the country’s leadership, should be observed.”

Analysts have stated that the results of Monday’s summit are positive for Russia.

German expert Alexander Rahr told Russia’s daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta that the EU “is not in confrontation with Russia.” This is why they only sent observers instead of troops to the conflict zone, he believes.

“EU’s mild reaction to Russia’s actions in Georgia means that in recent days Brussels has received extensive evidence of Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili’s role in initiating the conflict. If anyone in the EU had doubts about this, their reaction would have been much tougher,” Rahr said.

He even voiced an opinion that eventually the European Union will recognise independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, “but maybe not openly.”

The Deputy Speaker of the State Duma, Russia’s lower chamber of Parliament, is convinced “nothing extraordinary happened” at the EU summit on Monday.

“Russia and the EU are continuing dialogue, which only strengthens the position of our country,” he said.

He added this meeting also demonstrated that relations between Russia and the European Union have not changed

“As long as the withdrawal of troops has not been respected, all meetings on the partnership accord are postponed.”

A French Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “We consider this is a regrettable decision and I recall our attachment to the territorial integrity of Georgia.” French President Nicolas Sarkozy helped broker the ceasefire in South Ossetia which ended the fighting. Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner later confirmed France’s position in a parliamentary committee meeting: “We decisively condemn this decision.”

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Russian decision to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia was “absolutely unacceptable”. Speaking in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, Merkel said the recognition of the breakaway republics’ independence “contradicts principles of territorial integrity as a fundamental right.”

Earlier in the day she was joined at a press conference by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, who pledged: “Europe will not leave Georgia on its own.”

In the United States, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that a Russian motion to recognise the independence of the two republics would be “dead on arrival” in the UN Security Council. She added that it puts Russia “in opposition to a number of Security Council resolutions to which it is party”.

The United Kingdom also condemned Russia’s actions. “We reject this categorically and reaffirm Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a UK Foreign Office spokesperson said.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has called for the formation of a strong coalition to counteract the Russian decision. “I am holding talks today with international partners and will be visiting Ukraine tomorrow to ensure the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia,” he said.

A spokesperson for the office of EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, said on Tuesday: “The European Union confirms its support for Georgia and its territorial integrity.”

NATO General Secretary, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, also said: “NATO fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and calls on Russia to respect these principles.” He claims Russia is violating UN resolutions concerning Georgia’s territorial integrity. But what for NATO is a breach of contract, for Russia is double standards.

When Kosovo declared independence in February, 46 UN countries formally backed the bid – France, the UK and U.S. among them. Moscow now says it’s not to be lectured by those who opened what it sees as Pandora’s Box.

Russia’s Envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin said: “How is it possible to recognise Kosovo, to rip a piece out of Serbia, a country that’s been sovereign for much longer than Georgia, and now talk about protecting Georgia’s territorial integrity? Choose what it is that you’re defending.”

And it’s a view echoed by analysts. According to Marc Almond from Oriel College, Oxford, “the fact that the West has pushed through Kosovo situation means that the West is in a very weak position to say that the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia somehow transgresses the international law”.

“I’m afraid international law was ripped up in February on this sort of issue,” he said.