Leonid Slutsky: “The EU summit, as expected, discussed Russia vigorously and, as expected, made a decision to extend the sanctions”


Leonid Slutsky:

“The EU summit, which ended today, as expected, vigorously discussed Russia and just as expectedly made a decision to extend the sanctions, and not to dialogue with Moscow. But there were still some hopes for an improvement in the situation the day before. The three EU heavyweight countries – Germany, France and Italy – spoke in favor of holding a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The first initiative was put forward by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, calling on the EU “to seek direct contact with Russia and the Russian president.” “It is not enough when the US President speaks to the Russian President. The EU should not stay away from dialogue either, ”- these are her direct words. “Such a dialogue with Russia is essential for stability. We cannot remain in the logic of the reaction to each individual case, ”French President Emmanuel Macron supported Merkel.

The chancellor of Austria and the prime minister of Italy were with them. However, the Russophobic position of the “Young Europeans”, primarily of the Baltic countries, reduced the entire nascent constructiveness to nothing. According to media reports, about 10 leaders of the EU countries sharply criticized such a proposal, stating that one should not even talk to Russia. Merkel, lamenting the failure, only noted that a united Europe could show “more courage.”
But note that the loudest outraged are those whose voice, political and financial weight in the EU does not matter. The supply of locomotives and the main donors of the European Union is fiercely contested by the main recipients of subsidies from the European budget: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Ukraine is also adjacent to them, although not being a member of the EU. That is, it is precisely those who elevated the trade of Russophobia to the rank of state policy, or even made it a profitable item in the budget.

In such a scenario, the window of opportunity for renewing the partnership is increasingly narrowing. Refusing direct dialogue, Brussels nevertheless once again extended the restrictions and reiterated its intention to speak with Russia from a position of strength.

What to say? Seven years of attempts to influence the course of Russia with the help of sanctions caused considerable damage to the economies of European countries, but did not achieve their goal even one iota. This is openly discussed in Germany, France and Austria. How much longer will the EU go on about the far West or howl within the EU?

Well, there is only one answer to the sanctions: if we extended it, we will extend it too. Only this whole sanctions war is increasingly becoming a meaningless rudiment. “

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