‘The establishment of the EEU is a powerful manifestation of the EU’s soft power – an attempt by Moscow to gain status and recognition by mimicking the institutions and structure of the EU.’ – Er, no! The EEU is a mechanism formed and dominated by a single power – Russia – meaning it is very *unlike* the EU, which emerged under very different historical circumstances and where no single member is hegemon. Insofar as Russia is selling the EEU as a new kind of EU it is doing so precisely to get unthinking European dupes to buy into its propaganda. ‘If the EU offers the prospect of engaging with the EEU, it would send a clear signal to Moscow that the EU recognises Russia’s right to have an integration process of its own.’ – Er, no (again)! Russia is *already* ‘integrated’ – it is a sovereign state (an ‘amalgamated security community’). It has no right whatsoever to force or cajole other countries around it into some form of ‘integration process’. This would not be like the EU but more like a new Russian empire... On this occasion, some particularly poor recommendations from the European Council on Foreign Relations (despite good prior analysis of how we got to where we currently are). In fact, these recommendations would give Putin *exactly* what he wants – Russia’s establishment as a peer-competitor of the EU – and on a silver plate!
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 01:45:23 +0000
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