Soros: Putin's Russia turned out to be in some sense superior to the European Union
London - Kyiv, October 26 (PolitNavigator, Vasily Ablyazimov) - Billionaire George Soros published a policy article, dedicated to the problem of the current crisis in relations between Russia and the West.
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...EU fiscal rules have generated many dissatisfied people in Europe. The anti-European side, which now captured 30 percent of the seats in the last European Parliament elections, had no real alternative to the EU until recently. Russia now represents an alternative, a real fundamental challenge to the values and principles on which the European Union was originally founded.
What's shocking is that Vladimir Putin's Russia has proven to be in some ways superior to the European Union, thanks to greater flexibility and constant surprises. This gave her a tactical advantage, at least in the short term.
Europe and the United States, each based on their own considerations, express their determination to avoid a direct military confrontation with Russia. Russia takes advantage of their reluctance.
European countries are reluctant to provide military assistance to Ukraine for fear of Russian retaliation.
It's easy to anticipate what lies ahead. Putin wants to wait for the results of the October 26 elections and then offer Poroshenko gas and other benefits if he appoints a prime minister acceptable to Putin
The collapse of Ukraine would be a huge loss for NATO, the European Union and the United States. A victorious Russia would become much more influential in the EU and pose a potential threat to the Baltic states with their large ethnic Russian populations. Instead of supporting Ukraine, NATO will have to defend itself on its own soil. This would expose both the EU and the US to the risk of direct military confrontation with Russia. The European Union will become even more divided and ungovernable.
There are, of course, profound differences in history, language and worldview between the eastern and western parts of the country, but Ukraine has become more united and more European-minded than before. This unity, however, is extremely fragile.
It is clearly inappropriate for a country, or association of countries, to pursue a policy of fiscal austerity, as the European Union continues to do. All available resources must be brought to bear on the military and the war effort, even if this includes budget deficits. The fragility of the new Ukraine makes Western ambivalence increasingly dangerous. Not only the survival of the new Ukraine, but the future of NATO and the European Union is at risk.
Germany, as the leading proponent of fiscal austerity, needs to understand the internal contradiction. Chancellor Angela Merkel behaved like a true European politician in connection with the threat from Russia. She was a supporter of sanctions against Russia, she was ready to challenge German public opinion and business interests that did not approve of such actions. It was only after the downing of a Malaysian civilian airliner in July that German public opinion caught up with her.
"New Ukraine" has the political will to defend Europe from Russian aggression and engage in radical structural reforms. To maintain and strengthen this, Ukraine needs to receive adequate help from its supporters. Without it, the results will be disappointing and hope will turn to despair. Frustration has already begun to be felt after Ukraine suffered a military defeat and did not receive the weapons necessary to defend itself.
The time has come for the members of the European Union to wake up and behave as if they were in a proxy state of war.
In the current environment, it would be more practical and cost-effective for the US and European territories not to use their own loans directly to guarantee part of Ukraine's debt, but to use intermediaries: such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the World Bank and its subsidiaries.
The Ukrainian state company Naftogaz is a black hole in the budget and the main source of corruption.
It is therefore time for the European Union to take a critical look at itself. Something has to happen in the EU, or Putin's Russia will be much more successful in the near future. The EU bureaucracy no longer has a monopoly on power. The EU needs to learn to be more cohesive, flexible and effective. And Europeans themselves should take a close look at a “new Ukraine” that would help restore the original spirit that led to the creation of the European Union. The European Union will save itself by preserving Ukraine.
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