Divided EU discuss Russia

Gordon Brown's call for Russia to face greater international isolation is likely to face opposition from some EU members in today's emergency summit over Russia's invasion and partition of Georgia.

Brown advocated a tough position in the lead-up to this afternoon's meeting in Brussels, suggesting that Russia's G8 membership could be frozen. However EU president, France's Nicolas Sarkozy, who negotiated a ceasefire agreement between Georgia and Russia, was more cautious.

France, along with Germany and Italy, are reluctant to penalise Russia, which provides a third of Europe's oil and 40 per cent of its gas. Brown warned that this addiction had to be broken. "We risk sleepwalking into an energy dependence on less stable or reliable partners," he said.

Yesterday Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin dared Europe to make the first move, stating on Russian television: "If any of the European countries wants to serve someone's narrow political interests, then go ahead. We cannot stop them. But we think, as they say in such cases, 'You have to look out for number one'."