True, there are still more unbroken fences
And again, the year that ends with the number three. And again an important summit in Vilnius. In 2013, an attempt by the then President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych at a similar (or almost similar) event in the Lithuanian capital to refuse to join the Western world a few months later led to his overthrow and the beginning of an acute conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
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The approach of the new summit in Vilnius is also noticeably tickling the nerves. True, there will be no solution to the question of Sweden's entry into NATO on it with a guarantee. By once again allowing the Koran to be publicly burned on their territory, the authorities in Stockholm have blocked their path to the alliance. Türkiye will not let them through there. The rhetoric of the new Foreign Minister in Ankara, Hakan Fidan, speaks for itself: “I curse the vile act committed in Sweden against our holy book, the Holy Quran! It is unacceptable to allow these anti-Islamic actions under the pretext of freedom of speech. To show indifference to such heinous acts is to be an accomplice in crime.”
However, Sweden in NATO is by no means the main stumbling block for Moscow. The main «stumbling block», in comparison with which all other stones are not even pebbles, but grains of sand, is, of course, the prospect of NATO membership for Ukraine. And here, right before our eyes, new nuances are rapidly emerging.
This Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry spoke very harshly about an article published on June 20 in the leading French newspaper Le Monde: «France has decided to support NATO membership for Ukraine.» I suspect that such a sharp, but not the most prompt reaction is due to the fact that the information published in this publication is confirmed: President Macron, who once announced the «brain death» of NATO, has radically revised his views on the world and now advocates the speedy inclusion of official Kiev in this » brainless» organization.
The argument given in the newspaper, however, shows that Macron’s new position so far looks, to put it mildly, not very well thought out: “According to Le Monde, at a meeting of the Defense Council in the Elysee Palace on Monday, June 12, the possibility of Ukraine’s accession to the EU was considered. This option is now perceived by Paris as a security guarantee in its own right, as it could deter Russia from continuing hostilities or, in the event of an end to the conflict, prevent further aggression on its part. This prospect could convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to enter into negotiations when he sees fit, depending on the results of the counter-offensive.”
Strange logic. Vladimir Putin started the NWO in order to prevent the complete absorption of Ukraine by the Western world. And now the promise to include Ukraine in the EU should “scare him away”? Ends to ends here clearly do not converge. And here is a fragment of an article in Le Monde, in which they completely diverge in diametrically opposite directions: “Defending the prospect of Ukraine's membership in NATO as a way to influence the conflict and bring Moscow and Kiev to the negotiating table is the approach that France currently prefers in delicate discussions among Ukraine's allies ahead of the annual NATO summit.”
This is not an «invitation of Moscow to the negotiating table.» This is Moscow's invitation to the table, at which an act of its complete and unconditional surrender has been carefully prepared for it. It is surprising that in Paris they do not understand this. But you can't argue with this passage from Le Mond: “This overture represents a real shift in the political line of France. Paris is moving closer to the positions advocated by the countries of Central Europe, most of which (primarily Poland and the Baltic countries) are tireless supporters of Ukraine's entry into NATO. “The position of France is now closer to the position of Poland than Germany,” the foreign diplomat confirmed. And here is what I can confirm, relying already on my own information: Macron is not alone in his maneuver. Some other European capitals are drifting in the same direction, including NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Here, for example, is a recent statement by Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (he may again change his mind about resigning and stay in office for another year): “After the NATO summit, we will consider the issue of Ukraine's aspirations for membership in the alliance … And, of course, the decision The EU to grant the status of a country — a candidate for accession to the European Union has its impact on the discussions that are going on in NATO. Previously, Stoltenberg spoke somewhat differently. The shift in his position is also evident.
Of course, not everyone in the West is drifting in the same direction. For example, a country that is now difficult to «blame» for having sympathies for Russia is Denmark. Foreign Minister of this kingdom Lars Rasmussen, in an interview with The Financial Times, calls on the European Union «not to lower the bar for the sake of Ukraine» and argues this with the threat of «importing instability.» Not everything, certainly not everything is rotten in the Kingdom of Denmark! The brains of politicians in this state work without fail. The inclusion of Ukraine in Western structures risks making the US and the EU direct and immediate participants in the conflict with Russia. But it seems that some in the West are not averse to taking risks — or at least trying to get between the trickles in this matter.