By George H. Wittman on 5.25.07 @ 12:07AM
Unfortunately, their source is Vladimir Putin's samovar.
While many in Europe pretend to perplexity over Russia's
purposeful efforts to intimidate members of the European Union, the
all too obvious reality is nothing less than the reemergence of
Russia's desire to dominate the region. Inconvenient as it may be
for exponents of liberal appeasement, the nationalist ambitions of
Russia have been reborn absent their previous ideological mask of
international communism.
With its newly gained wealth from exorbitant oil and gas prices,
Russia's political economic offensive aims to exert influence on
the EU, which they refer to as "our neighbor." Russia's bullying
tactics with Poland, Lithuania and Estonia represent the first
round.
The devices Moscow has used as a provocation of its three former
captive states are a ban on meat imports from Poland, a cut-off of
oil supplies to Lithuania, and a threatened trade blockade of tiny
Estonia for the "crime" of moving a Soviet era war memorial. The
real intent of these exploitive acts was to forcefully remind these
new EU nations that, absent subservience to Russia, their national
life could be severely impacted.
Most important militarily, the Russians want the Poles to
realize that actions such as allowing the Americans to establish
missile bases on their soil -- even if they are targeted at Iran --
will not be tolerated unless specifically approved by Moscow.
Authoritarian Russia wishes to reinstate by economic and political
means its dominant role that existed during the Cold War. It's as
simple as that.
In spite of a vigorous protest by the European Union on behalf
of its new members, Germany has persisted as an apologist in the EU
for Moscow through the pro-Russian orientation of its foreign
minister, the socialist Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The conservative
Chancellor Angela Merkel has been forced by the terms of her
political grand alliance to allow Steinmeier full rein over
Berlin's foreign affairs.
Germany's obsequious foreign policy toward Russia had been
initiated by the previous chancellor, and SPD leader, Gerhard
Schroeder. It was Chancellor Schroeder who had promoted the German-
Russian pipeline (Nord Stream) controlled by the Russian oil and
gas giant, Gazprom. That Russian super industry already supplies
25% of the gas consumed in the EU and plans to increase it to 33%
by 2010.
Schroeder lost his government post to the conservative Merkel
and swiftly became one of the executive chairmen of Nord Stream.
It's amazing how these socialists can so quickly reinvent
themselves as capitalists.
It's hard for Washington and the rest of the Western capitals to
accept the fact that what had been hoped was a democratically
transformed Russia would revert to its old aggressive national
personality. But what is more shocking has been the apparent
acceptance of this stance by the Russian public. Unfortunately the
insularity of the earlier Soviet regime was far too easily
reproduced by the newly confident, oil rich Kremlin run by former
KGB stalwarts and their friends.
There is a new element in the international mix, however. The
election of the avowedly pro-American Nicolas Sarkozy as president
of France has created a changed power balance in the politics of
the European Union. With her friend and fellow conservative,
Sarkozy, backing her, Angela Merkel will have a stronger hand in
the EU. With the less-than-friendly-toward-the-U.S. government of
Jacques Chirac gone from France, the recent past knee-jerk
anti-American posture in Europe may have a chance to dissipate.
Unless Sarkozy effects a 180 degree reversal of form, the United
States will once again be able to consider France, as well as
Britain, an ally. This can strengthen the entire Western alliance
as Germany finds that hewing to a Moscow line will place it at odds
with the majority of the EU.
Placing this degree of importance on the expectation of a more
pro-U.S. France may be counting the proverbial eggs before
hatching, but the initial signs of such a positive development
certainly exist. In that sense, the manipulative bullying by
Putin's Kremlin in European affairs has actually aided in Paris'
transformation, and thus perhaps the rest of the EU.
If Washington can rise to the diplomatic occasion of having been
dealt a possible new European hand, there may be reason to believe
that future relations regarding Iran, and even Iraq, may also be
aided. All in all, Moscow can't be happy with the thrust of
politics in Europe. Will they step back or just get tougher?
Unfortunately Putin and his fellow covert operators tend more to
the latter than the former.
topics:
Foreign Policy, Trade, Iraq, Iran, Russia, European Union, Communism, Oil
