The foreign chiefs of 28 EU member-states are going to get together in the capital of Belgium on May 5 to discuss more sanctions against Russia. Meeting President Obama Angela Merkel already said the EU is ready to introduce a new package of anti-Russian sanctions. The German Chancellor appears to take the reins into her hands and rule Europe without asking for partners’ consent. At least that’s the way she spoke with the US President. It looked like she was the one to call the shots in the Old World…
The results of US trip allow to make a conclusion that Merkel unambiguously supports the US accusations against Russia. Somehow the both leaders expect Russia to stabilize the situation in Ukraine till the end of May. Washington and Berlin want the Russian Federation to support their candidate at the upcoming presidential election there. The allies are ready to introduce more sanctions in case Moscow stands in the way of the election. That’s what Obama said during the joint press-conference after the summit. The Chancellor spoke in the name of the whole united Europe, «The EU is preparing a package of measures that we will implement the third phase of sanctions against Russia I would like to emphasize that this is not necessarily in line with our wishes». The support of the Kiev regime demonstrated by the United States and Germany may make Europeans pay a high price. To some extent it’s Germany who is responsible for sparking the crisis in Ukraine in November-December 2013. Back then Berlin acted alone without looking back at partners hoping to be the winner who takes it all. No way.
Now Merkel is trying to get behind the curtain ceding the floor to the White House. Germany would like to be a kind of intermediary playing out the confrontation between the United States and Russia and moving European partners to the sidelines. The US condescending approach to the European Union is well known. It needs Germany to transform the Ukrainian internal crisis into an all-European one. The US special services do not act as passive onlookers. The CIA and FBI operatives act as the Kiev regime’s advisors on «fight against organized crime». Dozens of them help the putschists to use force and quell the unrest in Novorossiya. English is heard among the chasteners’ ranks; local nationalists use US-made rifles to fire at people. Putting the blame for what happened in Odessa on the «Kremlin’s propaganda» sounds like a blasphemy. The world saw the real face of Ukrainian fascists tossing Molotov cocktails at civilians. The United States is an accomplice to the crime. Barack Obama believes that Kiev has a right to restore order in Eastern Ukraine. The country faces the consequences of US criminal policy aimed at supporting the Maidan ultras. Washington is involved in the civil war by supporting the puppet regime which is unacceptable for the majority of Ukrainians. That is the «diplomatic solution» of the conflict according to US scenario. Germany risks making a big geopolitical mistake by taking the side of Washington.
The root of the problem is the NATO expansion to the East and the US attempts to re-orient Ukraine and make it turn to the West. Americans view Ukraine as a backward state at the Russian border going out of control. But Ukraine has special importance for Germany. Kiev uses Western money to form «death squadrons» to fight Novorossia the same way the Nazi Germany used Ukrainian nationalists. They manned police units, the battalions Nachtigall and Roland, the division Galicia, the local administrations of occupants and were trained in German intelligence training camps. Hundreds of thousands became their victims: Poles, Jews and Ukrainians while Russians were always the main target.
The Berlin’s interference into the Ukraine’s internal affairs can be seen as an attempt to revive the old policy aimed at creation of Mitteleuropa – a German term for Central Europe. Last century Russia had to counter the plans for hegemony in two world wars. In 1945 Germany ended up in ruins, its plans to expand to the East collapsed. The present divisions among Germans reflect not only the pro-Russian stance taken by a major part of population but rather the reluctance to support the hegemony-oriented policy revived by Berlin. Not all Germans see the tragic events in Ukraine through the prism of cubic meters of gas not supplied by Russia or the economic profit lost as a result of joining the anti-Russia sanctions.
55% of Germans believe that their country is obediently following the United States as the crisis in Ukraine unfolds. The Left Party is the leading force which is consistent in its opposition to the US. It calls for adopting independent foreign policy. The party enjoys vast support in the eastern part of the country, the former East Germany. The Alternative for Germany (Alternative fьr Deutschland), the party of eurosceptics which is a newcomer on the German political scene, stands near to the Left. The public opinion demonstrates the support for pacifism which has become traditional for the post-war Germany. 61% of responders say «no» to any form of Germany’s military presence in Eastern Europe, 56% do not approve the Ukraine’s entry into the European Union while 67% believe that a conflict with Russia does not serve the interests of the European Union and Germany. (1) The statements by Angela Merkel do not reflect the public opinion in Germany. Her belligerent rhetoric towards Moscow starts to backlash too often undermining confidence into the Berlin’s foreign policy. Will the German leadership be wise enough to listen to the opinion of the people or the feeling of solidarity with Washington is going to prevail?
The French leadership could be asked the same question. The majority of French oppose the Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and the idea of rendering financial aid to this country. It is confirmed by the survey of French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOR – Institut franзais d’opinion publique) published by the center-right Le Figaro newspaper saying 71% of French oppose the Ukraine’s accession to the European Union while 64% of responders say «no» to the idea of providing financial aid to Ukraine. Can Paris put the France’s national interests above the US plans for Ukraine?
The anti-Russian sanctions are an element of US policy towards Russia. By supporting Washington Europeans display their submissiveness and inability to stand on its own while dealing with America. This way they become accomplices in the crimes committed by the Kiev-based regime, including the Odessa massacre. The Russia’s President’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that those who support the Ukraine’s ruling junta today become criminals themselves.
Endnotes:
1. Die Deutschen gehen auf Distanz zum Westen
