Russian Relations

Europe and Russia are not adversaries. However, the prerequisite for a good neighbourly relationship is the observance of treaties and a peaceful fundamental attitude. A commentary by Karl von Habsburg.

Time and again, various political factions demand an end to the allegedly pointless sanctions against Russia. They claim these measures only harm the European economy and serve American interests. This line of reasoning conveniently forgets what led to the sanctions against Russia in the first place, and whom they actually affect. Even the term “sanctions” is slightly misleading, as it suggests general measures against Russia. In reality, the so-called Russia sanctions primarily involve targeted actions against individuals, companies, and institutions involved in Russia’s invasion of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. A fact that is often forgotten in the current discussion.
Many people are unaware that Russia has imposed sanctions against the EU and sectors of the European economy. Hardly anyone knows that the import bans on agricultural products into Russia are not a consequence of EU measures against the Russian leadership, but are instead due to a decision by Moscow. Especially in such grave matters of foreign and security policy, it is vital to always argue based on facts.

Causes of the measures against Russia

This includes knowledge of the causes behind the measures against Russia. These lie clearly in Moscow’s policy of conquest towards its neighbour, Ukraine. Crimea was annexed. The allegedly fair vote on the peninsula was carried out following a military occupation. And after Russia had already made undesirable figures disappear. How fair such a vote can be is for everyone to judge for themselves—whilst imagining a gun pointed at them. But even this occupation of Crimea, in violation of international law, did not yet trigger the “sanctions” against Moscow.
A further step of military aggression had to occur: the invasion of Russian units into eastern Ukraine. Only when it was obvious that Moscow planned to continue this advance as far as Odessa was the decision made to act. The result was these so-called sanctions against Russian institutions.
The argument that the EU is allowing itself to be co-opted by the USA to play a geopolitical game against Russia is incomprehensible. According to this view, the EU would have no interest at all in good relations with its neighbour to the east. The facts prove the opposite.

Not Russia’s first military aggression

The military aggression against Ukraine is not Moscow’s first military adventure in recent history. One need only think of the Russian presence in Transnistria or the war against Georgia. In none of these cases did the EU break off relations with Moscow; the EU-Russia dialogue remained intact, even though the policy adopted by President Putin would have warranted a tougher stance even then.
With Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, however, even the foreign-policy-weak countries of the EU seem to have had enough. In the case of Ukraine, there is an additional specific factor. Ukraine had declared its independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union. There are plenty of historical, cultural, and political reasons for this. Ukraine was—dating back to the Soviet era—one of the largest nuclear powers. The international community’s interest in keeping the number of nuclear powers small and controllable was great. This motivation was one of the drivers behind the Budapest Memorandum, in which Ukraine committed to giving up its nuclear weapons. In return, the signatories of the memorandum guaranteed the country’s borders. Russia was one of the guarantor powers of this Budapest Memorandum, and thus of the inviolability of Ukraine’s borders.
This fact alone should set alarm bells ringing for all those who so fondly argue that Moscow is fulfilling all its obligations.
It is true that there is no peace in and for Europe without Russia. For that to happen, however, it will be necessary for Moscow to stick to agreements and respect the freedom of European states. Whether the so-called sanctions lead to the desired goal—Moscow’s withdrawal from the occupied or annexed territories of Ukraine (and presumably Georgia as well)—remains to be seen. Without clear political signals from the EU, Moscow would likely have taken control of Odessa by now. Or even further west. And that cannot be in the interest of the European economy either.

This article was originally published on the website of Karl von Habsburg.