Russia awaits EU explanation on E.coli: Putin

[Timna]

Russia awaits EU explanation on E.coli: Putin

Keep waiting Vlad, the Euros are too busy worrying about how to keep this EU concoction cobbled together. What a joke.

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia will not consider lifting a ban on European Union vegetable imports until it hears from the EU about the source of a deadly E.coli outbreak.

Using stark language to parry EU accusations that the ban contradicts World Trade Organization rules, Putin said he would not poison Russians just to act in the spirit of the WTO, which Russia hopes soon to join after 18 years of trying.

"We cannot poison our people the sake of some spirit," Putin said in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

"We are waiting for our partners to name at least the source of this infection -- they themselves cannot understand what is going on," he said.

Russia announced the ban on Thursday, accusing Brussels of failing to give sufficient information about the E.coli outbreak that has led to 17 reported deaths, all but one in Germany, and made more than 1,700 people ill.

Russia awaits EU explanation on E.coli: Putin - Yahoo! News

[micah719]

Using stark language to parry EU accusations that the ban contradicts World Trade Organization rules, Putin said he would not poison Russians just to act in the spirit of the WTO, which Russia hopes soon to join after 18 years of trying.

Besides, Russia has been poisoning its citizens for years in the Spirit of Kurchatov and Stalin, and can resume these operations independently once WTO membership has been achieved.

[Suzanne]

Besides, Russia has been poisoning its citizens for years in the Spirit of Kurchatov and Stalin, and can resume these operations independently once WTO membership has been achieved.

Poisoning Russia's citizens is Putin's domain. I can understand why he would get angry when others are trying to muscle in on what he does best.

Seriously, I never thought that I would agree with Putin about anything, but I do in this situation. Russia should keep the ban on produce in place until the E. coli has been completely erradicated.

[micah719]

This whole ehec thing is a mystery. We'll have to wait for more details. I read a German article this morning that theorizes that ehec is a hybrid of an african haemorrhagic disease and e.coli. Another theory was that a farmer picked up the bug in hospital and infected his cows. This still doesn't explain the transmission chain. Putin is quite right in slapping a quarantine on the Eu. He's still a dangerous scoundrel though.

[Carl]

I have to admire the Russians. For all their excesses in governmental rule they seem to step up to the plate to protect their citizens more than many countries.