The Guardian: West’s rift with Russia ‘will last until Vladimir Putin goes’
Outgoing EU envoy to Moscow says Brussels should help Ukraine by offering it a path to membership.
Relations between Russia and the EU are stuck in a “deep and acute” crisis and are unlikely to improve until President Vladimir Putin leaves office and the conflict in Ukraine is resolved – events that could be many years away, the outgoing EU ambassador to Moscow has said.
Vygaudas Ušackas, who has been in the post since 2013, said the EU must offer Ukraine a path to membership of the bloc if it wants to resist Russian attempts to bring the former Soviet state more firmly back under Moscow’s control.
“As I leave my post, I am pessimistic that we will be able to return to a normal partnership in the near future,” Ušackas wrote in a letter published in the Observer on Sunday. “The differences between us are vast and hinge on principles of European security.”
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WNU Editor: Differences between the EU and Russia are not going to end when Putin is gone. And as for Ukraine .... Crimea is never going to go back to Ukraine, and with the Ukraine government's new education laws that prohibit Russian, a guarantee that eastern Ukraine will not agree to any political settlement with Kiev. To put it bluntly, this EU - Russia split is going to last a long time.
2 comments:
So be it. Russia's choice, really
America has a choice to make to. Does it want to continue to be aligned with EU nations who continue to act stupidly and in ways that are actually against their interests or does America wish to separate itself from these people and chart a more sane course for its foreign policy.
1.) Crimea is never going back to Ukraine. I've been saying this since Crimea voted to formally reunite with Russia. Crimea is Russian. Always will be. A cursory knowledge of history allows one to understand this. US foreign policy should be to recognize Crimea as Russian. SUPPORTING THE CHUMP, CORRUPT GOVERNMENT WAS ARGUABLY THE STUPIDEST DECISION EVER MADE BY A MAJOR WORLD POWER. (Perhaps US policy to back "rebels" in Syria against Assad was stupider.)
2.)Introduce crippling sanctions against the Ukrainian government and its officials until, at a minimum, laws prohibiting Russian are rescinded. Furthermore the US should do all it can to oust the current Poreshenko government. While the previous government cannot and probably should not be allowed to return, it was a vast improvement over the current situation. Getting the current government out is a good starting point.
3.)All sanctions against Russia should be immediately rescinded and the US should vigorously oppose any attempts to sanction Russia. More may be required but this would be a great place to start as they never should have been imposed in the first place. All they accomplish is to inflame those elements in Russia who are trying to push an agenda that America and its leaders wish to harm them. Assuming one really did want Putin out of power sanctions are only helping him as he is seen as fighting a foreign enemy. The only possible outcomes are a.)the US and its "allies" will eventually be forced to lift the sanctions anyway and b.)an even more "hardline/anti-American/anti-west leader will arise to power.
4.)The EU is a doomed entity anyway. Efforts to prop it up are ultimately doomed to failure. As such, it would be best to support any policy that can facilitate a "soft landing" when the EU ultimately does collapse. There's no good reason for America or anyone to even be listening to what a leader of this entity has to say.
5.)Finally there is something the western European nations need to understand. America is in very bad shape. Of all the major powers, its situation is by far the most precarious. Assuming it still exists in the next five to ten years which is questionable at best that it will its willingness and ability to project influence much beyond its borders which will have shrunk by then assuming it does survive will be nonexistent. The best description of America is "Potemkin Village." In contrast, Russia has been a major influence in Europe and Asia for centuries and will continue to be long after America has ceased to exist. It serves no interest of western Europeans or their leaders to pursue policies that are hostile to Russia ESPECIALLY when, as now, there is NO GOOD REASON FOR IT!!
6.) America may have a chance. It will need to improve its relations with Russia and China. Perhaps with improved relations we may even be able to get their assistance in dealing with North Korea. If we think of earth as an organization, hostile relations with the most powerful personnel in that organization is NOT a good strategy for advancement.
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