Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien
Backing away from them will only make the problem of an aggressive Russia worse. If they manage to impose their will upon the Ukraine they'll do it elsewhere too. If we don't want another cold war then it's a bad idea to cede the former soviet bloc to them against the will of the people of those countries.
---------- Post added at 21:34 ---------- Previous post was at 21:26 ----------
Where do we draw the line if not at the infringement of the will of the people of a sovereign country? Do we just cut them loose in the hope that it will quench Putin's thirst for more influence, do we cut other Eastern European countries loose as well? Maybe the line is drawn at Poland? Germany?
Russia isn't all-powerful either. They have domestic trouble and are heavily dependent on selling energy to power their economy and if Western European increasingly adopts alternative forms of energy (nuclear, shale gas, renewables) then that could undermine Putin's regime. We should stick up for ourselves and for the people of the Ukraine. Granted we shouldn't start a war with Russia and the EU should not trample on them for the sake of cowardice and appeasement either.
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Backing away wouldn't be necessary if the EU weren't hell bent on expanding in all directions for reasons which are beyond me. More members of the club is simply adding to the complexity of the whole things and introducing more variables into the equation.
Given its history we'd be wise not to encroach too far towards Russia's borders because sooner of later they will react and that reaction could well lead to armed conflict. Yes I know you tend not to believe such things could happen in Europe but there's nothing more dangerous that an enemy which feels cornered and perceives its integrity is under threat. The EU has enough fish to fry and if you feel it's OK for it to carry on courting former Soviet states at which point do you feel, if at all, that has to stop? If the Russian people started demanding they join the EU despite the opposition of their government would that be OK? Would the EU be right to encourage that and thereby be seen to be destabilising the country by those in control of a massive military? That's how it'd be seen in Moscow isn't it if more former Soviet states start making overtures to the EU.
Frankly I don't see any benefit in enlarging the EU right now or in the foreseeable future, even less so if it risks falling foul of the likes of Russia who've proved themselves to be unpredictable in the past. Like it or not Russia is a very powerful country and we shouldn't be playing call my bluff with them.
You used the terms cowardice and appeasement and I feel that's rather simplistic and in fact a dangerous view. I'd call it reality and it's the very same reality that prevents us from pushing China around when we don't like what they're up to or intervening in many of the larger disputes around the globe in which peoples are striving for freedom of choice.