Author: Cătălin Gomboș
Relations between the European Union and Russia are again free-falling, just as Brussels seemed to be willing to reconcile. During the visit to Moscow of the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, a visit marked by quite a few controversial moments, Russia announced the expulsion of three diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden. It was an act of public shaming that has infuriated many people. MEPs summoned Borrell to a plenary sitting to admonish him, so the EU’s top diplomat then called for new sanctions on Russia, after giving assurances just a few days before in Moscow that, for the time being, the EU will put off any such plans. Putin sat in the shadows on this one, but it was the Russian president who orchestrated everything, all part of his latest media stunt to show off his masculinity.
Borrell’s concessions to Russia
Borrell had come to Russia willing to find common ground over a number of major crises that for years have caused serious damage to bilateral relations. The list includes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the wake of mass protests against former president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to scrap the country’s Association Agreement with the European Union under Moscow’s mounting pressure, Russia’s disinformation campaigns seeking to destabilize certain European states, particularly ahead of elections or in sensitive matters, such as the refugee crisis, Brexit or the COVID-19 pandemic, or assassinations and attempted murders committed on European soil by Russian secret operatives. Beyond all that, Russia continues to move further away from EU-backed democratic values and closer to consolidating an authoritarian state where opposition of any kind, civil society and the independent media are subject to relentless harassment. Anyone who becomes too much of a nuisance for the regime risks ending up in prison or killed. So far, Moscow seems reluctant to change its ways or step back, and many people claim present-day Russia cannot be reasoned with.
Still, the EU chief diplomat went to Moscow and held a joint press conference with Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, talking about areas where the EU is prepared to cooperate with Russia, instead of bringing up unsettled issues. He even went as far as assuring Moscow that the EU has no intention of passing new sanctions in response to opposition leader, Alexey Navalny’s arrest. It was not a backdown per se, but rather a significant concession.
Instead of accepting the EU’s olive branch, Russia, or Putin, rather, preferred to humiliate Europe by staging a show that addressed both the people at home and the rest of the world.
Europe’s humiliation in Moscow
The show had three acts, all staged on February 5. First of all, although Europe was visibly offended (or bothered, at least) by the latest developments in Navalny’s case, the opposition leader having been sentenced to prison just a few days before Borrell’s arrival in Moscow, Navalny was again brought to court, this time on charges of defaming a war veteran. The latter had been featured, alongside a number of other people, in a video promoting last year’s constitutional reform in Russia. Navalny had criticized the said video, and the allegations against Navalny wouldn’t stick in any rules-based democracy. In Russia, however, it comes with a substantial fine and a potential two years’ imprisonment sentence.
The second part of the show was the press conference that followed Josep Borrell’s meeting with Sergey Lavrov. Russia used the conference to relaunch a string of fake news it has been spreading over the last years, claiming either that the EU’s sanctions are illegal, that the USA is actually calling the shots on the EU’s policy on Russia, or that Russian journalists are subject to discrimination in the European Union.
The third act consisted in the expulsion of the three diplomats for having attended unauthorized rallies staged on January 23 in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, which is almost two weeks before the visit. If it had been truly that pressing a matter, Moscow would have had plenty of time to declare the diplomats persona non grata prior to Borrell’s arrival, but this would have probably prompted the EU to cancel the visit. Russia could well have shown its guest minimum respect and postponed the diplomats’ expulsion till after the visit, seeing it had delayed the decision that long.
One might speculate that, from Putin’s standpoint, a show of strength in front of Borrell was necessary. Facing mass protests generated by Navalny’s arrest, the Kremlin leader cannot risk showing any sign of weakness. Yet, the argument isn’t valid. Moscow could have allowed Borrell to shoot his mouth off about Navalny without caring too much or doing anything about it. At the press conference, Borrell actually made sure, when talking about Navalny, to highlight the fact that the EU observes Russia’s sovereignty. One simple remark from Borrell regarding Navalny couldn’t have changed the fact that the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs went to Moscow, thus treating Russia just like any other partner. Yet Vladimir Putin did not contend himself with just a win. He wanted more.
Read more: https://www.veridica.ro/editorials/the-humiliation-of-europe-and-putins-machismo?locale=en&