MOSCOW, Aug 23: Moscow is to stop giving economic perks to its ex-Soviet neighbours, a Kremlin source was quoted as saying on Tuesday, in a message to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova they may have to pay for their new pro-Western stance.

Moscow has traditionally given preferential economic treatment to its former satellite states, but that has not stopped pro-Western leaders coming to power in revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia, and Moldova turning its back on Russia.

“Russia is not happy with the situation when in fact it subsidizes the economies of certain countries by supplying them with energy resources at discount prices while their people remain impoverished,” the Kremlin source said.

“Such situations create grounds for ‘Orange Revolutions’ which change little in people’s lives, but bring to power rulers, some of whom are ... in the pay of the United States,” the source was quoted as saying by Russia’s RIA news agency.

The source did not name any countries, but it was clear he was talking about Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. Street protests in Ukraine last year — known as the ‘Orange Revolution — ousted that country’s ruling elite.

The source said Moscow wanted to establish ‘rules’.

But the new policy is not designed ‘to restore Russia’s influence allegedly lost after Orange Revolutions’, the Kremlin source said. “There has been no influence, just wasted money,” RIA quoted the source as saying.

“Our aim is to make Moscow’s relations with Washington and European structures on the territory of the former Soviet Union civilized,” the source added.

“There is, in effect, a free-for-all going on in the post-Soviet space. Russia wants to establish some rules, and they should be civilized rules,” said the source.

Many ex-Soviet states import Russian oil and gas supplies at below world prices and their products also have privileged access to Russia’s domestic market.—Reuters