EU divided over reaction to South Ossetian war

There are major differences within the European Union, over how to react to the war in Georgia. France has presented its peace plan, urging the EU to send monitors to uphold any ceasefire.

New EU members from the former Soviet bloc want an outright condemnation of Moscow’s aggression. But Germany, which is particularly dependent on Russia for energy, said Europe should avoid any ‘blame game’ and focus on being constructive.

Britain said the EU would have to decide soon whether or not to pursue closer ties with Russia.