French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said in his address to the UN General Assembly session on September 23 that Europe wants to set examples by “acting to bring about peace, as it did so for Georgia.”

“Europe does not want war,” he said. “It does not want a cold war.”

“What Europe is telling Russia is that we want links with Russia, that we want to build a shared future with Russia, we want to be Russia's partner. But Europe is also telling Russia with the same sincerity that it cannot compromise on the principle of states' sovereignty and independence, their territorial integrity, or respect for international law. Europe's message to all states is that it cannot accept the use of force to settle a dispute.”