Undeterred by the conflict
triggered by Ukraine's swing towards Europe, the former Soviet republics
of Moldova and Georgia will sign a trade and political pact with the
European Union this month with Russia warning both countries against the
move.
Read more: Defying Russian warnings, Moldova and Georgia head for EU pact - Yahoo News
The two small
countries - Moldova has a population of just over 3.5 million and
Georgia 4.5 million - see the signing of an association agreement as the
crucial step towards mainstream Europe, leading to eventual membership
of the powerful EU trading bloc.
But, as has been shown by their regional neighbor Ukraine, Russia sees
their westward move further away from Moscow's sphere of influence as a
geo-political setback that could threaten its markets too.
Last November, Russia persuaded a now-ousted Ukrainian leader to pull
out of an identical pact with the EU.
When protests then chased him from
office, Russia, in a backlash, annexed Crimea, and armed pro-Russian
separatist groups sprang up in Ukraine's east and the battle there is
still raging.
How Russia -
which went to war with Georgia in 2008 - will react now remains the big
unknown but officials have warned of "possible consequences".
Read more: Defying Russian warnings, Moldova and Georgia head for EU pact - Yahoo News
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