A Step At A Time

A RIAN press report demonstrates the Kremlin's worries in the aftermath of the Ukraine election crisis. Though the report doesn't make it clear, it should be remembered that Vladimir Rushailo is also Secretary of the Russian Security Council. From the text:

Regime change by means of political manipulations poses a threat to all CIS nations, particularly Russia, CIS Executive Committee Chairman Vladimir Rushailo believes.

"The techniques aimed at toppling national authorities are fit to be on the list of challenges and threats of the 21st century," he told a news conference in Moscow on Thursday.

Overlooking and failing to react to this threat would be wrong, Rushailo said. He reminded that US political analyst Zbigniew Brzezinski believed that the situation in Ukraine would in the future influence those in Belarus, Moldova and the Trans-Caucasus nations.

"Does this mean that these countries face the events Kiev has experienced? We are analysing the developments throughout the CIS and are drawing conclusions," Rushailo said.

Rushailo's comments are particularly notable for their anti-Polish animus:

Rushailo said Polish monitors obstructed voting by standing right near ballot boxes.

"Polish monitors behaved glaringly in many Ukrainian regions during the election," Rushailo noted.

The harshness of the tone and content of the remarks tend to reinforce the impression of a general increase in anti-Western and anti-European statements and rhetoric now beginning to come from the Kremlin. Rushailo's comments also need to be seen in the light of Moscow's attitude towards the U.S. intervention in Iraq, and the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

(via Marius)