Preston MP e o secretário de Defesa Ben Wallace tiveram algumas críticas por detectar o cheiro de Munique nas negociações sobre a crise da Ucrânia. Fiquei cada vez mais desconfortável à medida que os chanceleres, secretários de Relações Exteriores e ministros de Defesa derrotaram um caminho para o Kremlin. Nunca parece haver uma questão de o líder da Rússia que vinha para Bruxelas ou Paris. É exatamente o que o líder russo quer, atenção e respeito. Ele certamente não tem direito a este último. Eu estava em São Petersburgo quando Boris Yeltsin estava no comando e opinou que seu antecessor Mikhail Gorbachev entraria na história para terminar a Guerra Fria. O visual que recebi veio da Sibéria. No entanto, eles dificilmente podem se orgulhar de tentar recuperar seu lugar no cenário mundial pelo bullying bruto da Ucrânia. A principal expansão da OTAN ocorreu há quase vinte anos. É uma aliança defensiva. Países como Estônia, Polônia e Romênia nunca ameaçaram a Rússia. É Putin quem começou isso com sua apreensão da Crimeia e apoio de rebeldes nos Donbas. A OTAN teve que reagir a isso. Putin reagiu a essa reação, e estamos onde estamos hoje. Reino Unido e França. China e Rússia estão se aproximando. Eles têm muito em comum, um desprezo pela democracia e um desejo de aumentar seu peso, seja no leste da Europa ou no Mar da China Meridional. Os Estados Unidos podem estar indo para uma grande crise entre Trumpians e Democratas. A Grã -Bretanha tem um líder que alienou seus amigos da Europa Ocidental por causa do Brexit. Macron está enfrentando uma eleição e o novo chanceler alemão é sobrecarregado por sua dependência do gás russo. O acidente financeiro, o terrorismo, a má tomada de decisão e a mídia social contribuíram para a sensação de que a democracia está na defensiva contra seus inimigos.
I think, as usual, this moderate and respectable Tory, is speaking some sense. I have grown increasingly uneasy as Chancellors, Foreign Secretaries and Defence Ministers have beaten a path to the Kremlin. There never seems to be a question of the leader of Russia coming to Brussels or Paris. It is exactly what the Russian leader wants, attention and respect. He certainly is not entitled to the latter.
I know the Russian people felt they lost prestige after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I was in St Petersburg when Boris Yeltsin was in charge and opined that his predecessor Mikhail Gorbachev would go down in history for ending the Cold War. The look I got came right from Siberia. However, they can hardly be proud in trying to reclaim their place on the world stage by the crude bullying of Ukraine.
Putin’s claim that he is threatened by NATO is based on a self-fulfilling prophesy. The major expansion of NATO took place nearly twenty years ago. It is a defensive alliance. Countries like Estonia, Poland and Romania have never threatened Russia. It is Putin who began this with his seizure of Crimea and backing of rebels in the Donbas. NATO had to react to that. Putin reacted to that reaction, and we are where we are today.
There was never a likelihood that Ukraine was going to be accepted for NATO membership, particularly after the partial invasion of its territory in 2014. The idea of taking on a country where there was a strong possibility of needing to implement the principle of an attack on one is an attack on all is not attractive to those members who would have to do the main fighting, The USA, UK, and France.
However, Putin’s demand that he be guaranteed that Ukraine could not be a member is unacceptable.
It is to be hoped that a settlement can be reached but the world picture has been changed by this. China and Russia are drawing closer together. They have much in common, a contempt for democracy and a desire to push their weight around be it in Eastern Europe or the South China Sea.
The West is not in best shape to stand up to these powers. The United States could be heading for a major crisis between Trumpians and Democrats. Britain has a leader that has alienated his Western European friends because of Brexit. Macron is facing an election and the new German Chancellor is burdened by his dependence on Russian gas.
When the Cold War ended it was hoped that liberal democracy would increasingly be the form of government enjoyed around the world.
It was not to be. The financial crash, terrorism, poor decision making, and social media have all contributed to a feeling that democracy is on the defensive against its enemies.
