Eurasia

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) — Defying police presence and a thunderous downpour, dozens of Greek pagans huddled near the Parthenon in Athens on Sunday, holding a protest prayer for a museum being built at the foot of the sacred site.

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says it is weighing its options following the arrival of more NATO vessels in the Black Sea, according to reports.

Russia’s Ambassador to the EU has warned that the bloc will lose out by suspending long-delayed talks on a framework for new relations as retaliation for the military campaign in Georgia.

Europe has agreed to help rebuild war-devastated Georgia, but rebuilding relations with Russia may take longer. EU leaders decided to put new partnership talks with Moscow on hold if Russian troops are not withdrawn from Georgia soon. President Sarkozy will go to Moscow next week to reinforce Europe’s position.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia praised the European Union on Tuesday for taking a “responsible approach” to its conflict with Georgia by declining to impose sanctions on Moscow but said the EU had failed to understand its reasons for intervening.

NAZRAN, Russia (Reuters) – Police in the Russian region of Ingushetia used batons to break up an anti-government protest on Tuesday, a human rights campaigner said, two days after police shot dead an opposition leader.

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – The European Union’s rejection of sanctions on Russia is positive but it is disappointing the bloc does not understand the Kremlin’s motives in Georgia, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.

KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s defense sector has called for a big rise in funding for the military after Russia’s war with Georgia but its reliance on Russian supplies of weapons and parts poses a dilemma.

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – Russia hopes the crisis in Georgia will not disrupt strategically important relations between the United States and Russia, a top Kremlin aide said on Tuesday.

NAZRAN, Russia (Reuters) – Masked police in the southern Russian region of Ingushetia used batons to break up an anti-government protest on Tuesday, two days after an opposition leader died in police custody.