Sir, Zaki Laidi (Letters, September 3) urges the former Soviet-dominated states of the European Union to accept that Russia has legitimate interests "on its periphery" and should not have to live with "foes at its borders". The trouble is that Russia defines interests and foes so restrictively as to exclude the interests and security of the states on its periphery. These EU states have exactly the same rights to protect their security and advance their interests as Russia does and, as EU members, also have the right to expect that their EU partners will adopt their definition of security and interests and not Russia's.

György Schöpflin,

EPP-ED, Hungary,

European Parliament,

Brussels, Belgium

It was published in FT.com on 4th of September 2008.