Bowing to a Russian ambassador’s demands? No way …

By Robert Cottrell

Date: 24/03/05

A fine public row adds to the gaiety of diplomatic life in Lithuania. The Russian ambassador, Boris Tsepov, has written an open letter to a leading local newspaper, Lietuvos Rytas, saying that the paper "spreads false information and lies" damaging "the honour of citizens from other countries, including their diplomatic representatives".

So far from apologising, Lietuvos Rytas says it is "proud that the Russian ambassador has lost face and lowered himself to the level of the street-market". The ambassador's outrage "confirms that Lietuvos Rytas has adopted the right policy", the paper retorts.

The row sprang from a report in Lietuvos Rytas that Tsepov would soon lose his job, for getting local politics wrong. According to the paper, he had predicted that Lithuania's President Valdas Adamkus, would go to Moscow for Russia's Victory Day celebration on 9 May, commemorating the defeat of Hitler.

But Mr Adamkus had decided not to attend. Tsepov's career was "hanging by a thread", Lietuvos Rytas said.

If Tsepov's career was indeed in danger, then Lietuvos Rytas has probably rescued it. Moscow can hardly move its envoy in the near future without further loss of face. But the ferocity of the row, over a few lines in a newspaper, shows how strained Russia's nerves have been getting, and the Balts' nerves too, as 9 May approaches.

Victory Day is perhaps the one event in modern history which stirs the pride of all Russians equally. They believe, rightly, that Russia did a great thing for the world by beating Hitler. And they expect the rest of the world to agree. So they are angry to find, as this year's 60th anniversary celebrations approach, that others want to take a broader view of history.

Two of Russia's neighbours and near-neighbours - Lithuania and Estonia - have decided not to send their presidents on 9 May. Latvia and Poland are sending their presidents, but calling for history to be re-examined.

They agree that the defeat of Hitler was a great and good thing. But for the Balts, it led to half a century of Soviet occupation. For Poland, it led to the Yalta conference and the abandonment of half Europe to communist rule.

What is more, say Poland and the Balts with one voice, it would be pleasing to hear at least some expression of regret from Russia for the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, by which Stalin and Hitler divided up central Europe among themselves in 1939.

Adam Rotfeld, the Polish foreign minister, says Poland is doing the right thing by sending its president to Moscow, because Poland played a big part in the victory over Hitler and that fact deserves commemorating. He worries that if Poland snubbed the ceremony, it would forfeit the understanding of other European governments. They would think that it was provoking Russia needlessly.

Still, the Balts must be thanking heaven for Poland's willingness to speak out at all. Without it, they would be facing a furious Russian propaganda campaign with precious little sign of support from most other European Union governments. Poland has a better understanding of the Balts' plight. It has felt something of the same chill from Russia since it backed Viktor Yushchenko in Ukraine's disputed election last year.

There is probably little Poland can do to help the Balts' relations with Russia. But perhaps it can do something to encourage their dialogue with other EU partners, which are increasingly disposed to see the Balts as anti-Russian out-liers. It is not hostility towards Russia that stirs the Balts. It is fear of Russia and with reason. Somehow, they need to get that message over better.

• Robert Cottrell is central Europe correspondent for The Economist.

Article reports a row between the Russian ambassador to Lithuania, Boris Tsepov, and a leading local newspaper, Lietuvos Rytas. The issue had sprung from a report in Lietuvos Rytas that Tsepov would soon lose his job, for getting local politics wrong. According to the paper, he had predicted that Lithuania's President Valdas Adamkus, would go to Moscow for Russia's Victory Day celebration on 9 May, commemorating the defeat of Hitler. But Mr Adamkus had decided not to attend. While two of Russia's neighbours and near-neighbours - Lithuania and Estonia - had decided not to send their presidents on 9 May, Latvia and Poland were to send their presidents, but calling for history to be re-examined.