Relations between Russia and the EU are a tad strained at the moment. Following violent clashes between pro-Russian gunmen and Ukranian special forces, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently warned that he hopes he will not have to exercise his “right” to send troops into the country. The standoff represents possibly the most serious international security crisis the European Union has ever faced.
We recently spoke to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, two members of the band Pussy Riot who both served 21 months in prison for staging an impromptu protest concert in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The severity of their sentences prompted Amnesty International to name them “prisoners of conscience” – and they are both outspoken critics of Vladimir Putin and the Russian government.
We started with a comment from Lata, who argued that Russian standards of living have increased since Putin came to power. Is Putin’s Russia really such a bad place to live, or is Western media misrepresenting the facts? How would Nadezhda and Maria respond?
Next, we had a comment from Andries, who thought it was time for Europe to send a signal to Russia that it is headed in the wrong direction:
Russia is descending more and more into a dictatorial, mono-cultural, discriminatory and closed society that shows not an ounce of respect for universal human rights, for minorities, nor for any form of democracy. Europe should send a very clear signal that we will not tolerate this.
Did they agree? And what sort of “clear signal” could Europe send? Particularly as the EU depends on Russia for so much of its oil and gas imports?
Finally, we had a comment sent in from Catherine, who thought that Putin was unfairly criticised by LGBT rights campaigners:
My understanding is that Russia simply does not want schools to be inundated with the ins and outs of Gay pride and adoption of children into what Russians see as unacceptable [partnerships]. Freedom of choice must remain with Russia and the Russian people on this matter. Europe has to respect the rights of states to choose.
What would Nadezhda and Maria say to Catherine’s comment?
Should Europe send a “clear signal” to Russia that its actions are unacceptable? Or is Putin’s Russia just misunderstood and misrepresented by the West? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policy-makers and experts for their reactions.
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Why not try to lecture Saudi Arabia on the subject of human rights? Oh, yes, because they’re USA’s strategic ally. USA and EU have no problem with human rights there. So yes, Russia is not misunderstood but maliciously misrepresented, because that’s what US strategic interests dictate and the EU is just complying.
I personally and publicly criticize even allies on their weaknesses. This includes the US, UK, Germany, etc. I have no problem criticizing my own country’s government, and I don’t get arrested for it. I can parade a boat with my Prime Minister’s photo (the liar Ponta) signifying that he’s crazy, in addition to being a proven liar (Ph.D. thesis copy-pasted in-full). I publicly and privately criticize religions for wanting us ignorant and poor. And I don’t get arrested for it. See, a country is as strong as it wants to be. It can choose to silence the opinions of those who want it stronger and better, or it can choose to listen to constructive criticism and better itself. It I love my country, then I indeed do not want corrupt oligarchs in power. I don’t want my country to be ruled by someone who sees himself as the redeemer of past communist glory. I want my country to be genuinely powerful, economically, socially, technologically; if your consciousness resonates only with “patriotard” arguments, then you are what is wrong with this world. We can live in peace and prosperity, we can live as equal in rights (not in money, no communism please!), but only if we embrace our humanity, our empathy. Fight for freedom, not against it. Otherwise, you are the enemy of the free world. No matter what happens, freedom always wins.
The West is UNFAIR. VALUES such as JUSTICE, RESPECT for human life and people regardless of their differences ethnic, relate to their national origin, religious believes, political positions and ideology. Do not belong only to the countries, that claim this values as their own.I ADMIRE President Putin, resolution to defend and express the existence of a different narrative and interpretation of the world as well as the exercise of human values that are universal and do not belong to any particular country. I do ADMIRE his interest, express in an active way, in a different kind of world, a MULTIPOLAR WORLD in that mutual RESPECT is exercise in all regards and in this bases JUSTICE. CONGRATULATIONS to President Putin and the BRICS for the creation of the new bank for international development. Russia must be proud of its president, without doubt with a soul that those that fail to understand or accept the existence of people with a superior soul that do not yield to mediocrity and only can mention this word as an element of one more attack in the long list of attempts to character assassination that is exercise as a public relation tool for those that fail to understand that there is nothing exceptional in count with an obscurantist position igniting a dangerous kind of polarisation in a world that is in need of PEACE and resolution of its many conflicts trough DIALOGUE and diplomacy instead of unnecessary wars. A world without the double standards that appear to be the norm in that the powerful countries base their actions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism
Russia has 4,4 % military spending… About what one-third are they talking about ? Furthermore Russia had barely any revenues by oil before Putin since there were little taxes and trade was done by the oligarchs, not the state.
Yes, I think that Europe should send a strong and clear signal to Russia. Putin’s behaviour is totally unacceptable, he’s covering his actions with the excuse of protecting the russians minorities, when instead is all about his thirst of power, that is common to every politician.
Putin is being, in case, too much patient with the situation.
The moment he will lose patience, maybe, you will see that separatists owning tanks and guns bought from internet open fire against Ejercito de Espana, creating their own separatist republic. Let’s call it Republica Separatista Catalunya or Republica Separatista Vasca, or Republica Separatista de Aragon, or, changing medium, La Republique Separatiste de Laguedoc-Roussillon, or La republica Separatista di Friuli Venezia Giulia…
What actions ?
stop propaganda against russia.
The only propaganda here is the one putin is in charge of dear ;)
Free Russia with Pussy Riot
What is really at stake here? Can someone spell it out “clearly” so everyone understands? Or are the military just eager to create another “cold war” so they can inflate their budgets?
Putin is not a good guy, but it is not so bad, I think new Ukrainian non-democratic president is much worse… and many European ones, Americans…
On the other hand, are better “our friends” from Arabia? Hummm? Why don’t you speak about them?
Putin is better then the hypocrite western politicians..and this comes from a person that voted YES for the EU and who is usually anti-Russian.
@Ivan Bilokapić
If you voted YES for the undemocratic EU then it is no wonder that you support Putin.
Pussy Riot and Femen (Victor Svyatsk) are both George Soros funded ONGs, and we all know what type of speculator he is, profiteering off the backs of peoples, throughout history.
They well deserved their terms in jail. They desecrated a church and violated other people’s freedom to worship.
In fact, I think 21 months is not nearly enough for what they did.
Pussy riot! What a name and what an example of (i)morality for young people!
About Putin: his actions are unacceptable, but so were the actions of western nations which supported the coup in Kiev against the legitimate leadership of Ukraine. To this day, Ukraine has illegitimate leaders which took power by force, since no elections took place. What a gesture from Rompuy to sign the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement with this putschist and illegitimate government!
It only shows the western support for the coup. Don’t want in the EU? We’ll remove you by means of a convenient “revolution” and the next leaders will sign. Eastern Europe is the Latin America of Imperial EU.
But let’s leave all this aside.
So what if Putin’s actions are unacceptable? What are you going to do about it? Start a nuclear war for Ukraine?
Support a nuclear Ukraine which still holds territory conquered by Stalin from it’s neighbors and has no respect for ethnic minorities, probably more dangerous to Romania for instance than Russia itself?
There are large Romanian minorities with very little rights in northern Bukovina, as well as southern Bessarabia (Budjak), territories conquered by the soviets from Romania as a result of the 1939 Ribbentrop – Molotov Pact between Nazi Germany and USSR, which is still in effect as far as Ukraine is concerned.
Ukraine has had recent border issues with Romania along the Danube and around Insula Şerpilor (Snake Island), a territory which was illegally “transferred” by the communist government of Romania to the soviets in 1948, while Romania was occupied by the Red Army.
In 1948, the Soviets forced the Romanian side (occupied by Soviet troops) to accept the “transfer” of Snake Island to the Soviet Union, as well as to accept to move the Romanian border in the Danube Delta towards the west, in favor of the USSR. Romania has strongly disputed the validity of this “treaty”, since it was never ratified by any of the two countries, which would make the Limba Island and Snake Island de jure Romanian territory.
Let’s say Bucovina and Budjak legally belong to Ukraine, even though they were conquered as a result of a pact between world’s worst criminals – Hitler and Stalin. Even so, Ukraine illegally holds occupied Romanian territories, given the fact that the “transfer” of territory in 1948 was not only illegal, but also not ratified by either Romania, or USSR.
How do you think Romanians feel about a nuclear Ukraine, under these circumstances?
Of course, I’m not talking about Romanian authorities, which are just as treacherous in favor of westerners as the 1948 communist government was in favor of the Soviets.
Nice job, buddy. Russian propaganda finally reached you. Good job! Now see to it that it doesn’t lead to your and our country’s demise. Those who preach isolationism from the West actually preach for a weaker Romania, which is of course in the interest of Russia. Isolationism is bad. Now stop blaming others for what’s wrong with our country. Romanians are so silly sometimes. It’s always someone else’s fault. Either Russia’s, or the West’s. Stop blaming others and get to work – build the country you want – without crying like a baby that life’s unfair. We play the hand we are dealt. You don’t like Western companies serving you 100% western products to the detriment of local industry? Stop buying only Western products. Support local farmers, vote politicians who do it too, support laws that cap non-national market share to 50%. Don’t go isolationaist all the way, and don’t go external all the way. Try the middle ground. In other words, stop complaining and do something to better your situation and your country’s. Start today, when you buy your water at the hypermarket or whatever.
Dear Dragoş, I think you payed attention neither to the topic, nor to my comment.
It looks like you replied to somebody else’s comment, since I wrote nothing about western companies, about work or about Romania, except the fact that part of its territory is illegally occupied by Ukraine at this time, the nation we are supposed to support and be friends with.
That occupation is hardly our fault, except in the sense that maybe we should go to war with Ukraine to recover what’s ours, taking advantage of its current situation (just kidding: no, I don’t think we should do that. At best, we should condition any form of assistance to Ukraine on the restitution of our territory, but I don’t expect anything like that from lackeys such as Romanian politicians).
So either you replied to the wrong comment, or you simply replied to a comment in your head. Something you imagined I wrote because, apparently, you are conditioned by somebody’s propaganda and a mere opinion that’s opposite to yours sets off a pavlovian response like that comment above.
Putin was and will always be a communist!!Stop him before is too late for Europe.!!Defend Ukraine.!Is European land!!
Good Interview and Q and A with Pussy Riot.
Putin slaughtered countless Chechen, invaded Georgia, annexted Abchasia, Osetia and now the Crimea. The last one to act like this in Europe was Hitler. The man is a menace. We should arm ourselfs for the war that will come!
Dear Debby
Obviously you forgot various incidents in modern international history: For instance, Vietnam was an opperation of the “Free World” against “Communists” or in reality, a slaughter of a peasents’ country by a brutal high-tech army? (the US Army)
The Latin American dictatorial regimes (notorious: the Pinocet regime that exterminated more than 30.000 people – political detainees) had been in place for more than a decade just because they managed to survive by themselves, or because of huge Western “democratic” support?
The ethical argument in International Politics has been eroded by its selective usage in order to moraly “legitimize” actions against nations with whom the predominant ones have mainly economic disputes. This lesson from History of Mankind should have been common sense; however, there are plenty of people who like the moral argument in International Affairs; they just forget that the roots of a conflict lie on economic interests between nations; the excuse to launch a war may vary from explicit acknowledgement of the root cause to implicit arguments about human rights, democracy etc.
Therefore, in the context of current International Relations, the conflict between Russia on the one hand and the West European Usurers Corporation (driven by 4th Reich’s interests in Ukraine) on the other shall be seen by the stakeholders in accordance to their specific interest. Regarding Greece, any distortion of the status quo ante agreed in Yalta (1945) and NY-1988+Malta1989, may cause further troubles in the Balkans (as it has been the case of the dissolution of Federal Yugoslavia); therefore, Russian control over ex-USSR regions, esp. in the Black Sea and Caucausus is the best guarantee for peace and stability in the region. The USA will always be our best ally to confront both threats from NE and the EU Centre (namely, the 4th Reich).
Yours sincereley
George Yiannitsiotis, PhD
(Political Science-International Relations)
So true. Every one in the civilized world was under the impression that invading the national borders of another country was over. The world should have stopped Putin in Georgia. This regime in Russia cares nothing about the Russian people, only lining their own pockets and fulfilling their own illusions of grandeur. Sure people make money in the West, but Democracy and Capitalism have helped to enrich more people than any other form of government since the beginning of time, it isn’t perfect but it is the best we have. Tell me, my Russian friends, how many people moved into the middle class under communism? How many people experience any kind of freedom under these oppressive regimes once in power? What Russia and Ukraine need is to put an end to corruption in the private and public sector and to uphold the rule of law with a police force that answers to the people as well as the government.
Putin came to power in 1999 and the first thing he did was to stop the war in chechnja. Abchasia and osetia are not a part of russia. You are already armed and dictate your rules all over the world. How many wars conduct usa without having any right for that?How many have been slaughtered? Russia has to defend itself and to build a bright future for its people
Putin does not care about his own people, never mind any body else. He is a fascist dictator with a war machine ready to do his bidding. He controls a criminal empire that has infiltrated all countries. They feel “untouchable”. Time to take them DOWN!
Woe to you, Pharisees hypocrites!
1)So the “democratic” EU, supported the overthrowing of a democratically elected government in Ukraine. Whatsmore, it recognised the new government that is full of the Nazis of the Right Sector, the Fascists of Svoboda, oligarchs and opportunist frauds like the current Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk. So, the people of Ukraine have as head of their state a person who got in the last elections…an astonishing 6.96% of the votes.
2)It seems to me that the “liberals” and “democrats” in this post and elsewhere in various debates seem to condemn Putin. Yes, they are the same people who support Asad’s ousting in Syria in favour of the Islamists as they did in Lybia before that. Yuanukovych was corrupt and undemocratic, I agree. But so was Timoshenko and the new puppet PM in Ukraine. But, oh the irony, to support the coup that happened in Ukraine that overthrew a democratically elected president, to support the new government that is filled with right-wing totalitarians and call yourself progressive and democratic…
3)What happens in Ukraine is a proxy war. EU and USA versus Russia. Everybody is looking to defend their interests and the people of Ukraine are being smothered in all this for no good reason, no reason at all actually. Taking sides is both short-sided and unreasonable. Russia’s oligarchs and US’s industrialists are taking their bites out of Ruthenia-Galicia and you want us to condemn Putin? Why? Why is he worse that the other side? Didn’t the same thing happen in Kosovo? Exploiting minority rights for their own interests, the NATO allies unilaterally decided to cut a piece of Serbia. And that was democratic, but THE SAME THING happening here is not. Why?
4)Peace for the people of Ukraine. Take the matter in your own hands, build a country indepedent of foreign interests and you’ll have our support. It looks like many people in EU forgot the “F**k the EU” remarks by Nuland and are now convinced to support Washington’s choices.
Depends on which part you are :)
About time the EU stops demonising Russia.
The EU doesn’t have to demonise russia. Russia is doing the work all by itself. All you have to do is to look at what is happening and to listen to the people who lost their home during sochi and to the russian vandalised minorities who are real russian citizens.
Tell that to the 150,000 Romanians who aren’t allowed to speak their language, and whose schools are being shut down and harassed by the Russian military and the pro-Russian regime in Transdnestria. All of this because they had “the guts” to declare independence from the USSR, and defend their country. Imagine the bravery of a few souls who stood in front of Russian tanks bearing pistols. This is what Russia did long before it was allegedly “demonized”. Woe to the vanquished. Their voices aren’t heard. Only yours!
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I think that Vladimir Putin should suffer the EU sanctions, by forcing Russia to an agreement that includes a tax contribution in each oil transaction, as well, an increasing of prices in Money transfers to Europe. The Putin´s actions are totally unacceptable in a Democratic Union, wich is main purpose is unite the diferente countries, by creating an solidarity link. The LGBT rights should be preserved and the European Union, must have a strongly response in order to avoid more descrimination against the LGBT defenders, by giving them the help and protecting them , making laws that contribute to preserve their own dignity as human beens. I also would like to thank to Pussy Riot for their battle and let them Know that we here in Portugal, support their fight for a better country, where Russian people could joy a live in freedom. Was a pleasure to contribute with you in this short debate. You can count with all my support!
Democratic Union? Could you make explicit which is a “democratic” “Union”? Hopping not referring to the West European Usurers Corporation that demolished the Constitutional Order of at least the Hellenic Republic in order to rescue the mainly German and French banks from bankruptcy 4 years ago!
Pussy Riot is a legitimate voice in a democracy but it is no way representative for the Russian people.
The annexation of the Krim was legitimate (referendum), although breaking international law and agreements.
We are just learning that Russia is back on the iglobal stage. The West has to negotiate with Putin and cannot deal with Russia the same way as it did with Lybia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria etc.
It is good to know that the world is stil multipolar.
The EU and its nations better get their acts together to face this new challenge.
For this it is important to strengthen its nations and confine the Brussels eurocracy to coordinating functions.
Putin has again shown the superiority of nation and nation states in world affairs. Would there not be another powerful nation state on the side of the West, namely the US, the geostrategic helplessness of such artificial constructs as the supranational EU would be even more visible as it already is.
If the EU wants to sustain it will not only economically but also militarily need a lead nation. And, as the Ukraine has proved again, multiculturalism is a deadly danger for society.
sas glentaei o Putin filoi m #putin_is_gletzes
Russia should be stopped once and for ever. Russia has stolen the history of Ukraine, it does not even have the right to call itself like that.
…and Putin is a killer, google for Beslan (kids and teachers killed in a school), Nord-ost… All of those deaths are the result of Putins so called politics. Putin is a real terrorist, he is a threat for everyone in the world, EU and USA should take all the efforts to stop him.
try googling iraq…
Get the Europe OUT of NATO!
Get the EU out of Ukraine! The EU (France & Germany, but mostly Germany) caused this situation – NATO had nothing to do with EU expansionism UNTIL the great bear got a bit peeved and the EU had to call on its backup ie NATO.
Dont you get it. That is Russia .Not some stupid Country.They dont give up on provocation.EUROPE is depending on Russia.If they stoped the gas and the oil.Eurpe is totaly Screwd up.
@Yancho Mladenov
NOT all EU countries rely on Russian gas eg the UK and Ireland!
Russia LOST the cold war AND it will lose the next trade war if there is one.
Whatever happens Russia is going to suffer,, its backward, aggressive behaviour is UNACCEPTABLE in the 21st century.
Although, to be fair it was the EU that precipitated this current debacle.
And about the Us politicks .They onlu care for there own pockets .Evry war they creat is for money,drugs,and oil.That is the truth.There democracy is jsut ah word
The only one person who was trying to make Democracy the kiled him Publick.That was J.F.Kenedy.
Congrats. Very well said.
“Pussy riot” is the most popular band that no one has listened to their music. Nevertheless I will not be surprised if they will be awarded a Grammy. In order to support this claim there is one of a couple of their clips tat can be found on the web: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrLI-5xYybo
You mean “Sword”…3:) :( :)
America’s actions are unacceptable. Since 1945 America and it’s allies have started more than 20 wars. Russia have not. America and Israel are the World problem. If any of you do not understand that you need to read more and get your FACTS right!
@Steve Zalamov
Erm, I seem to recall Russia invading several European countries after WW2 and indeed invading Afghanistan.
PLEASE DO NOT RE-WRITE HISTORY!!
The USSR imposed friendly regimes to the buffer-zone agreed in Yalta (1945) between the USA, the USSR and the UK as the USA did in Greece (1947-74). However, the Yalta settlement did not included the French and British Colonies. The USA and the USSR supported (for their own reasons each) the de-colonization process in the 1950s and 1960s; there, in the 3rd World, they clashed indirectly till 1989 for spheres of influence and control of resources. The end of the Cold War shifted the focus from the 3rd to the 1st World; now, again the weakening of the Superpowers leads to more instability and rising powers try to gain control over resources abroad by using locals as puppets (esp. in Africa where manslaughter goes on for more than 20 years and no-one in the ‘”democratic” pro-human-rights” West seems to care for).
We do not want EU to take action in this conflict!
Bulgaria.
Excurse Me George and the rest of the repliers, the US has been very busy since the Yalta agreement stopping Russia from taking over the rest of Europe, Africa, and South America and turning into a Communist slave Labor camp. Sorry if that doesn’t fit with your version of history, Trust me the West would have liked to sit back and relish our victory. And, you should be thankful that Harry Truman told George Patton not to turn the German Army around and attack Russia, with US support and de-nazification. Too bad we didn’t. It would have saved us billions and millions of lives that Stalin murdered. so, don’t lecture the west in any way about the goodness of Russia. When Lenin was turned loose by the Kaiser like bacillus of a disease on Russia that was the beginning of the end for the Greatness that Russia could have become. Change was needed but not the mind boggling butchery that communism brought about.
The kommunizum died before 24 years stupid !! …..
?????? ?????? ?? ????????? ??? ???? ??, ?? ?????? ????????.
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Are Putin’s actions in Ukraine “unacceptable”?
Not quite. The purpose is right, the methods to achieve that are questionable. From Putin’s perspective is protecting russian ethnic population, from ukrainian side is defending “their” country. The truth is somewhere in between. The real problem is that historically once russians put their boot in any neighboring country it’s virtual impossible to make them retreat in their own boundaries afterwards, They invent all kind of excuses to extend their stay over a occupied territory. Just look at the size of Russia, needless to comment.
Let’s ask the plains Indians (natives) in America how the socalled USA treated them?
Look who’s calling the kettle black.
In the ?U and U$ we cannot be proud of how our people is, governments and ?U just care about power and banks/transnational business, so…
You Betcha and I have a beautiful home, a great job, my kids went to college and I’m looking forward to a great retirement with healthcare and social security. How about you? What a one room 30sq foot apartment approved by the party? Give me a break. yeah communism is coooool…………….and everyone benefits from that form of government and monetary system. Oops I forgot the only people that really make any money are the gangsters and former KGB officers. You people are pathetic and we don’t feel sorry for you at all. Your country is so backward and undeveloped, you don’t even have decent roads outside of Moscow and Leningrad. What you need is another Peter the Great. But unfortunately, you’ve got Prince Vladimir of Old Russia – what a joke he is. I notice he wasn’t invited to this years Press correspondence dinner………….cause he has no social graces either. What a minute maybe he could have come shirtless riding one of his nags………….
They are tottaly unacceptable!
The UE, NATO must have a word to say! Must act right now! Europe is in danger.
Stop EU-USA Propaganda.. Americans sheeps
Putin did what had to be done against the offensive and anarchistic events in Ukraine. The entire Ukrainian people should be pleased he was stable and determined enough to put his foot down on their behalf. It would have been a total disaster had he not done so.
We need an opposing force to US hegemony, they are out of control and, as is so obvious, run by a bunch of air heads. Without one powerful opponent we would all be in dire straits. Putin is not the bad guy they tell you he is. He is serious, strategic and knows his job.
I may not go along with his basic political thrust, however, I prefer him and it to what we presently have in the political hypocrites we see on the West now. He says what he means and does not hide from his motives. He did well in Ukraine.
I disagree and trust me i live closer to the region than you.
SO i have a lot more to lose than you , tucked safely on your island.
why EC supports illegal criminals in Kiev?!?!??! Is EC rulers criminals too? Mafia? Why EC want WW3? You forget victims in WW2? Ask your grandfather then… Stop this madness , before all we die!!!
In soviet Russia, propaganda of Russia, posts you.
Get out of the house and fight the maidan, not call on “uncle” Putin to rip the country apart.
Yes they should not ake away Crimea just like that… They wanted to be in this situation, they knew what is going to happend I think EU should build a full embargo on any sort of realtionship with Russia.
Europe sucks ;)
EU is just another bad joke. They are not even good to manage the Europe economy. Look at Spain, look at Italy, look at Greece, look everywhere. Last year many countries declare they are ,,bankrupted,, and White house was shot down for financial aspects. But they DO have the money to give it to Ukrain (LOANS) or to pay for the troops. They destroyed moral values, education and all that was good and natural. They violated in my country the human wrights using the police. And many of the joining states lost the suveranity. So who is UE? who is UE representing ? Maybe just a bunch of fat guys with golden chairs that are forgeting that this life is not permanent, and that there is a biiig, long eternity after.
and pussy riot back in the jail ;)
Best way to listen to pussy riot is with the volume on 0.
EU SUCKS very badly.Look Bulgaria for example,everything is with EU prices ,but the sailary is lower then the african countries.So ,please EU go away
That is just the result of a bad integration process. I am currently living in Spain and that’s one of the most common argunents against the EU. The prices increase because they are set for the whole EU, but the Bulgarian and the Spanish governments should make the minimum wage and the economic aid to the unemployed higher in both countries, just like what any EU-country with a big difference between prices and wages should do. Blaming the EU for making prices increase is just too easy and simple. Even if younquit the EU, as most products are bought from EU countries or cross EU countries to get to your country, prices would be almost the same and the problem would therefore not be solved.
@Progresist: As the problem is common for all peripheral countries (including France!), let’s make clear that a common market predictably would cause diminished prices at the center and increased at the periphery. The problem is structural due to the fact that money/resource transfers to the periphery are inadequate and, for eurozone slaves, the “euro” is not a unique monetary unit since the 4th Reich borrows it from the “markets” with negative interest rates and the PIIGS with more than 7%.
The whole problem has been caused by the blind acceptance of transfering national authority to a supranational body (the EU) without retaining the unanimity in all decisions; gradually, this gave all advantage to the 4th Reich to the expense of the rest EU member states. Now, at least in Greece, the Constitutional Order and basic Human Rights have been violated via the Memorandum I, II, III….., the citizens of the Hellenic Republic have been deprived of basic rights (like the right to private property due to overtaxation, the right to democratically accept or abort agreements that turned us to debt-slaves etc.) and the Gauleiter of Europe Angela Merkel visits her debt-colony without even uttering a word of sorrow for the more than 0,5 million victims of the German Army during WW II in Greece (not to mention the case of War Reparations, the Occupation Loans and compensation to the victims!). Time to get rid off the West European Usurers Corporation (disguised as “European Union”) before it manages to solidify its totalitarian, pro-usurers(“banks”) oppressive regime.-
@George: First of all, sorry for answering so late. That said, I think you are right when saying that the EU member countries’ power should not be so centralised as it is today and as it is becoming in order to avoid the current situation of one or two countries ruling all other EU countries. However, I want you to think that most countries that have big economic issues right now (aka PIIGS), started many projects without planning them correctly or spending too much money (that was just a loan from the EU) on other projects that were not going to be affordable. I want the EU to be reformed in order to reduce economic and social differences between the member states (and that’s also why I don’t want any more countries to join the EU for a while), but I don’t think that leaving EU would make prices in Bulgaria decrease, as it would still be buying the products from the same countries, maybe even having to pay custom duties if they leave the customs union too. The EU is good because it can (or is supposed to be able to) make big changes in countries that e.g. have fascists in their governments, not allowing them to do certain things (such as using schools for propaganda or explicitly attacking some ethnic group in their country) or it can at least help countries with problems of some kind with money (ERDF) or making common laws to reduce that problem. However, it really has to stop being “the banks’ buddy” and become the true political union that helps all its citizens thinking about them and about the world instead of thinking about money and profit.
@Progresist:
1. Everyone may want the “EU” to be reformed; however, Germany will decide, since it has the economic power.
2. Regarding the correct planning of projects at the periphery: a) there has been a mechanism of turning public european money into private pockets under the auspices of the EU Commission; b) at least in Greece, a project with real cost of 25€ ended up to be priced 100€. National contribution was 25% (obviously, the Greeks paid for the project); EU contribution was 75% scattered as follows: i) mainly German and French MNCs (like Siemens, Hochtief, Vinci etc.) 50; ii) local sub-contractors 20; iii) local politicians 5.
As you can easily understand, the Greek tax-payers paid the project and the EU tax-payers paid the black money super-profit for the MNCs and local contractors as well as local politicians. This has been the corruption-spreading machinery of the “EU”. Now, the ECB/IMF/WEUCorp. gang turns against the Greek tax-payers in order to loot their private and public property and turn them to debt-slaves. We have a better solution:
1) Reclaiming WW II (and some remnants of WW I) Reparations from Germany (200bn Euros approximately + interest since 1947)
2) Reclaiming the Occupation Loans extracted from the Bank of Greece in 1942-3 (5.6 mn golden UK Sterlings + interest since 1947)
3) Reclaiming Compensation for the victims of the barbaric German Occupation Army (1941-1945) from Germany
The above sum covers fully the external debt of Greece (340bn euros) and leaves a surplus that can be used for issuing a new national currency and regaining our LIBERTY (the ultimate VALUE for GREEKS).
Regarding the West European Usurers Corporation:
There is only one way to get rid of it; orderly dissolution and shift of powers to the Council of Europe (the only international institution at the continent that fully respects Human Rights and can protect citizens from totalitarian ideologies and regimes).-
If that is true (and I’m going to suppose it is), it would be a reason to start really changing the EU now, in this case, making more frequent and more precise controls of what the EU taxpayers’ money is being spent on. Why should only individual countries have real fraud detection systems (I mean, systems that sometimes work) while the EU as a whole does not? I completely agree with you in the fact that Greece should be paid all WWII reparations, and maybe this year might be a historically good one to do that as it is the anniversary of the D-Day, which was another part of WWII (although I am afraid you won’t be able to get that money this year, unfortunately). But I think giving the EU the ability to create joint politics is good, so I wouldn’t like it to disappear as the Council of Europe is not able to make any law as far as I know. Maybe requesting or rather getting that reparations paid would decrease Germany’s economic power and would increase Greece’s, but I hope that won’t help neo-fascist groups as “Χρυσή Αυγή”, as I am totally against fascism and its ideologies of not respecting human rights.
@Progressist:
1. The West European Usurers Corporation (disguised as “European Union”) has inherent trend to corruption; what you are proposing is like putting the wolf guarding a sheep-flock!
2. Regarding common policies, there is always the possibility to transfer such authority to the Council of Europe
3. Should Germany be forced to pay WW II Reparations to Greece it would go bankrupt; therefore, Germany tries by all means (bribing greek politicians is common practice via infamous German MNCs like Siemens and Ferrostal) to support corrupted political parties in Greece that are easily blackmailed.
4. Germany and its puppet “EU Commission” have been supportive to the Greek political regime that cooperated in the “party” regarding EU-taxpayers money since the early 1980s and still supports corrupted politicians and political “parties” (gangs) like ND and PASOK. It is clear that without getting rid off the EU Commission and Germany we can not confront tax-evasion and other problems directly linked with the corruption-spreading machinery described in my previous comment.
Regarding Golden Dawn, I firmly contend that it is a shame for Greeks who suffered more that 0.5mn deads during WW II (most of them civilians executed by the German occupation army); however, prerequisite of getting results in isolating GD is the destruction of the corrupted political-economic elite that loots the country with the collaboration of and instructions-orders from the ECB/IMF/WEUCorp gang. Otherwise, the ones that opose (verbally or factually) this regime that turns us to debt-slaves, will get more and more political momentum and strength that very soon will be irreversible!
Russia is rich country and if Ukraine join Russia will be much more better then if she join “EU”
If Russia is great and rich then why to need Ukraine? Hummm? Nikita gave it away best thing that ever happened to Russia. Nikita, unlike Mr. Pootler, knew because he was somewhat intelligent that Russia could not afford to keep Ukraine. But, Pootler just doesn’t get it. What is Russia ( who is so rich) going to do with millions of more hostile people? Kill them? Put them in gulags all the while stealing their wealth, yeah right Ukraine is better with Russia than the EU. Sure………….
@Jodi Howard:
1. Nikita Chruchev had a political bias to diminish the Russian national esteem to which Stalin was forced to recourse in order to mobilize the people and win WW II.Therefore, he cut off from Russia proper the Tauris peninsula (Crimea) and the rich Donetsk province in order to support the poor Ukraine and smash Russian national threat to his communist regime
2. The poor areas in Ukraine are in the West; the Donetsk region is the richest and most developed area as well as Tauris (Crimea) and Odessa. Keep in mind that the western parts of Ukraine are devastated by Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe and the picture is clear: without Donetsk and Tauris (Crimea), Ukraine is a burden that Russia does not want to bear.
3. The neo-nazionalist German regime did a blunder that helped Putin to grab the rich-strategic areas and leave the rest to the West! Now, the USA try to avert a complete failure in Western deterent policies vs Russia by bargaining Ukraine with Suria and Iran.
PS ΤΑΥΡΙΣ (Tavris) is the ancient Greek name of the Crimea peninsula. Many cities in the area have kept their ancient Greek names (Sympheropolis, Sevastoupolis, Th(F)eodossia) as well as ΟΔΗΣΣΟΣ (Odessa) and Marioupolis (where a vast Greek-origin minority lives).
Are Putin’s actions in Ukraine “unacceptable”?
“Unacceptable”? What is that by Russian measure ? Who’s asking ? Get real.
have you ever been in Africa that you can confirm the higher salaries…i think no because your Statement is absolute Bullshit !!!!
Steve Zalamov your comment is absolute incorrect!!! 1956 Hungarian National Uprising , 1969 China-Russia Border War , 1978-1989 Afganisthan War , 1992 Transnistrien Conflict, 1994 – 1996 First Chechen War , 1999 – 2003 Second Chechen War , since 2004 South Ossetia conflict , 2008 Caucasus War …it seems as when you have to check the History again !!!
I do not consider the answers by ” Pussy Riots” worth while listening to .. !
The question must be another.
Has Russia (Russian Federation) ever been democratic at all?
The only one who tried was Gorbachev (Glasnost, Perestroika). Yelzin was not bad, too. But the rest? I mean: come on: journalists shot only because they said the truth, Pussy Riot punished not for entering the church naked…. but for what they said… That is no democracy.
But: democracy must be earned by a people. And in this point, education comes into play. Educated people would learn to live with different people under one roof – speak: on one territory – and to respect others.
How else Anti-Gay laws – and their justifications – can be judged if not a huge deficit of education.
Yelzin was not bad, too.
That’s an anecdote! Yelzin was very bad for the Russian economy, heading it to bankraptcy in 1998! During Yelzin’s presidency, the oligarchs flourished whilst the vast majority was dumped to extreme poverty. This greedy looting of the ex-USSR by the international usurers and their colaborators (the Yelzin regime) led to the establishment of a more autocratic but more equitable regarding the ordinary Russians, regime: the Putin’s regime. IMF greediness led to Putin – not the revival of KGB and other tall stories.-
PS. Greediness of the 4th Reich and the IMF/ECB/WEUCorp gang will lead to the dissolution of the new German Empire (disguised as “European Union”). The only way to avoid it is to turn the euro into a real currency, thus forcing the ECB to direct lending of the eurozone member-states at the nominal rate (now 0,25%) up to the 100% of their GDP and to more strict rules for the “banks” (namely the usurers) forcing them to a 1:10 lending ratio (1 euro at the cashier – 10 euros to loans maximum). Otherwise, the “EU” will break up leaving Germany with more debt than ever (well above the Weimar period!)
Yes,, it CHARATERIZES the PUPPETS in BRUXELLES ,, that they only have ” PUSSY RIOT ” to explain what is going on in Russia .. it is a JOKE ..if it was not so EMBARASSING … but OK.. we KNOW ..this is the LEVEL the Bureaucrats in the EU are basing their Opinions upon .. Ha ha ha ha .. DONT VOTE for such IMBECILES !
Right, unfortunately there is a great lack of long term strategic thinking among the EU-Establishment, instead plenty of isolated specific measures guided by an ideological inundation with xenophila. We are already highly paying for the maladjustment of this system.
Pussy Riot and the media mechanism of the west behind them (EU and USA) represent absolutely all the bad things that cripple European societies today.
Most of EU actions are unacceptable.
Although artistically Pussy Riot are matching with their name ;) , however they do have a point about Putin’s action for civil and human rights.
On the other hand, is to much to ask from the sinner (EU) to drop the stone, instead of take a look on the mirror!!!
It’s not Putin. Majority of Russian people don’t want this legislation to be passed. Putin respects the majority of his nation.
Does the EU respect the opinion of the majority of EU citizens? All its decisions are top down. Even if some of them would probably find majority support (e.g. reducing telephone and credit card charges). The EU seems to be the policy of a minority (establishment) for minorities, basically disregarding the majority people. To reduce resistance against such a policy it is necessary to make each of us to believe that we are also part of a minority in the one or the other way.
However, in the long run majorities always recognize if they are deceived.
I’m with Oleg. Putin has nothing to do with it. If he would pass a pro gay rights law in Russia he would commit political suicide and be disregarded by vast majority of Russian people
Unfairly?! lol He doesn’t care about human rights!
I believe the good relations between Russia and Union Europeen!
http://youtu.be/zK9dKUvQYbA
‘racists, sexists, homophobes
and all you other assholes
around the globe
we’re here to let you know
that your time is gone’
In some states in the US there are no LGBT rights quite on the contrary, maybe the EU should criticize this first.
No, we criticize it all. That’s not an argument. That’s like saying: hey – please let me be excused for murdering this innocent person here, why? cuz look – someone else somewhere in the world, did the same.
That’s seriously flawed logic if not downright malevolence.
Russia is normal country !
Think of this, if a US politician was accused of racism due to not opposing a racially discriminatory bill in their county, do you think the media would dare call it “unfairly criticized”? There can be no excuse not to voice protest if minority rights are so blatantly bashed into the ground
PR – gays???
There are certainly cultural differences between western “values” and eastern ones. Always was, always will be. In one hand there is western hypocrisy and in the other eastern democratic deficiencies. Question is who’s right and who’s wrong ? Regarding Ukraine, there are indeed two countries and hopefully it will follow former Czechoslovakia example instead former Yugoslavia violent dissolution.
Dear Ironworker,
I agree with you that we need to understand that Russia has a different basis for its values then western Europe. Russia is Russian orthodox, while western and central Europe are, or have been, Catholic. Catholicism was open to rational understanding of God and his doing and the bible, while Russian orthodox is highly mystical and very conservative. Sinds the beginning of Russian identity, to be Russian ment to be Russian orthodox. This may explain why members of pussy riod were punished severly.
Greetings, Theharmonicaman
Let’s get this right…
Putin talks about nazis in Ukraine and yet his own 150,000 nazi members living in Russia terrorize LGBT groups all the time.
@Catherine have you heard of “urine therapy” ?
I suggest you look it up on youtube before you make such silly claims.
https://www.google.ro/search?client=opera&q=urine+therapy&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=urine+therapy+russia+gays
Nobody is pushing “gay propaganda” as Putin says, that’s just dumb.
Also Catherine, i don’t understand how you can be a socialist and for equal rights ( this should be especially sensitive to you because you are a woman ) and yet be ok with Putin DENYING such rights to LGBT groups in his country.
As for Ukraine, well, the fact that the Hitler scenario is repeating itself seems foreshadowing of things to come.
Putin hasn’t stopped to Crimea. And we are still playing the Chamberlain card.
It is characteristic that the European Union needs Pussy Riot to explain Politics.. this is probably because EU Politicians do not have a clue themselves ..
UE e a Comunidade Internacional deve desarmar as faces das ideologias populistas da Federação Russa
I believe that all this leftist Europeans who seem to support Putin should watch this video
With all due respect, I believe that all this leftist Europeans who seem to support Putin should watch this video
Ole, for considering Pussy Riot’s answers not “worth while listening to” you seem to invest quite a lot of time commenting on their videos
Putin’s actions in Ukraine are in my opinion “unacceptable”. Putin is a dictator like Stalin, Hitler, Lenin and Mussolini. Russia should join the European Union NOW.
Ha nice one.Russia joining the EU…You really got me ROFLing.I doubt the Russian nation want it sacred culture to get mixed with that what we half american inbreds named europeans would call culture.Sorry bro but coke and mcdonalds ain t that what the average russian consider to by worthwile.
Without Putin in charge though.
Well, with the current events in Ukraine, the state switched form eastern to western orientation. And there is a significant Russian minority there. There was a similar situation in the Baltic states (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia) where the Russian minority was somewhat oppressed, so that there where needs for OSCE missions in each of these countries.
The missions ended when the countries joined the EU. Maybe the problems got solved by then. But maybe, as I once read in a book about female alcoholism, “signing a marriage document didn’t magically solve their relationship problems”.
The Europeans could not really guarantee the well-being of the local minorities. Putin could either annect the territory, or watch the locals being oppressed and subjected to assimilation policies. For example, there are French, Spanish, Italian regional movements. The germans living in Alsace are assimilating too.
In the eastern part of Europe, the situation is harsher. In Slovakia and in the Czech Republic, collective sanctions against the “guilty nationalities” of WWII are still in order, and EU-officials reinforced their validity. Oppression of nationalities is not a thing of the past.
For example, there was the “Malina Hedvig-case” in Slovakia. A skinhead beat up a girl for speaking Hungarian while walking on the street, and the Slovakian judges concluded, tha she did beat herself. Now she stands trial for fraud.
If we set aside all the propaganda, Putin is forced to do what he has to, if he wants the local Russians to not suffer. Altough the difference between the Ukrainian and the Russian language is not that large, so it is also about power politics on both sides. The wants of the each side are unacceptable for the other.
Why did Crimea need a Russian invasion to make a referendum?
Voter’s guide:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BizGOihCUAA9Mss.jpg
what would your union know about being democratic???….not alot.
So, the USA, fresh from liberating the oil of Iraq and with a quarter of a million people ending up dead because of the war and the sectarian violence that flared up because of it, thinks it has any moral authority? Me thinks not!
And the less said about the USA lapdogs in Brussels the better.
By the way, how are the National Socialist Ukrainian Workers Party (aka Svoboda) doing? Oh right! They’re in the government and supported by USA/EU/IMF.
Hypocrisy, this is you.
Speaking of unacceptable. What I find unacceptable is that the EU/IMF/ECB use our money to enrich the rich. To bail out rich bankers, shrink the middle class, impoverish the poor and increase unemployment as they have done with the banker project called ‘Euro’. Go ahead, Euro-philes, deny it, your Euro was an idea from American bankers, to enrich them at our expense.
That is unacceptable. This whole Ukraine business is none of our business.
Marcel, but how do you explain that basically all so called extreme right parties in the EU, by its oponents frequently called “Nazi”, support Putin or at least have understanding for him, for the Putin who on his part is fighting the “Nazis” in Kiev. There are obviously his “Nazis” and our “Nazis”. Is this not confusing for you?
Bastian, most of these radical ‘right wing’ are actually fomenting against Putin/Russia. Particularly in the Baltic States, Poland and other central and eastern European countries where the heirs of the former nazi allies hate everything Russia.
I do however see why some others (not from Poland/Baltics/western Ukraine) would be supporting Putin. They see someone who isn’t willing to be lectured by the undemocratic EU prancing around pretending to represent us when in fact they do not. Putin knows the Brussels clowns are not in any way representative as they are slaves to whatever Washington wants.
hahah someone save this pic like with name Pussy riot hahah cool Euro debating :)
ahahah pussy riot cool :)
First they came for the Ukrainians,
I was not an Ukrainian so i did not say anything,
Then they came for the Tatars in Crimea,
But i was not a tatar so i didn’t say anything.
Then they came for me,
But by then there was no one to say anything for me.
First they came for the Greeks,
I was not Greek so i did not say anything*,
Then they came for the Portuguese,
But I was not a Portuguese so I didn’t say anything.
Then they came for me,
But by then there was no one to say anything for me.
(* incorect: the whole north Europeans applauded against the PIGS!)
First they came for the jobs of industrial workers, but I didn’t say or do anything.
Then they came for the jobs of the rest of manufacturing industry, again I didn’t say anything.
After that, they came to undermine and sideline our democracy, I tried to say something but wasn’t heard.
Now finally, the EU and its banker friends are coming for my money…
Dear Adrian, excuse my language, but this is misinformed bullshit. You are merely uttering somebody else’s slogans.
I’m sure you mean well, but you are hot-headed and you just don’t know much history, otherwise you wouldn’t write all this nonsense.
They already came for Romania and big chunks of its territory now belong to Ukraine because of that. Ukraine is one of them, one of THEY
This is merely a quarrel among THEM.
Ukraine is not a victim, it is one of the heirs of the Soviet Union. To this day Ukraine considers Ribbentrop-Molotov (in fapt Hitler-Stalin) Pact still in effect, and holds Northern Bucovina and Budjak as a result of that, still showing very little respect to Romanians living there.
Further, it illegally holds Snake Island and other territories at the mouth of the Danube as a result of an illegal and never ratified border treaty between Romania and the Soviet Union in 1948. That treaty was not ratified by either Romania, or USSR, so to this day it should not be in effect.
Also, this friendly neighbor of ours repeatedly violated Romanian territorial waters on Danube river while working on Bystroye Canal. It is only the weakness of Romania which prevented a military response to that.
Yes, I think that Mr Putin’s actions are 100% unacceptable, if not more. He does not seem to recognise Ukraine as an independent country with its own borders but seems to think that he has various 9totally lame0 excuses to interfere, blackmail, and physically invade the country. Ultimately, he is showing no respect for international law and basic concepts/values that make Europe and its culture what they are. Another thing to note; Russia had the most convictions per year at court of Human Rights in 2013 with Turkey close behind and the 3rd and 4th places with a big difference in numbers. That’s saying something.
It was western powers (US/EU countries) that paid for and fomented this phony revolution. They used extreme right wing organizations and neo-nazist movements like Svoboda to provoke violence. Then used the governments reaction to the right wing violence that as a casus belli to overthrow that government.
Now they want to install the queen of corruption, Yulia Tymoshenko, because she and her allies are willing to sell ordinary Ukrainians out to western bankers and corporations. You already see the vast increases in energy prices, savage cuts to healthcare, welfare and pensions, and know this they are coming for more.
Putin is quite right. These people in Kieve are not in any way a legitimate government.
I don’t think that he is right and whatever they have done he has done worse. He has invaded the country and this is the biggest crime at international level. He is following in Hitler’s footsteps.
Oh where to begin….
First off let’s start by stating that parts of Ukraine defecting to Russia is not unacceptable on itself. Ultimately people should have the right to determine to which country they belong. Also, Russia has a somewhat valid claim on the regions in Eastern Ukraine, being that they once belonged to Russia and were gifted to Ukraine by Khrushchev. Even so, while Ethnic Russians make up a majority of the population in the Eastern parts of Ukraine, in most cases it doesn’t exceed 60% of the population whereas I’d say if a decision to join Russia was put to a vote, it would need a larger majority than 51% to pass. Still, I’d say that Eastern Ukraine joining Russia should in theory be acceptable if it was achieved by democratic means.
However, it is currently being achieved by means that are anything but. Russia has covertly invaded Eastern Ukraine, actively sponsors provocateurs and ‘volunteers’ to stir up trouble in Eastern Ukraine. It complains about the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government but fails to acknowledge that the current Crimean government is even shadier, being installed quickly after a short assault on the government buildings. A new government which immediately voted for secession.
So Russia’s behaviour in totally unacceptable, but I try to see the bigger picture. Why would Russia be doing this? Note that I don’t simplify Russia with Putin, because he’s not the only person behind this. As far as I’m concerned both the EU and Russia want to add Ukraine to its sphere of influence for mainly economic reasons. E.g. exploitation. Russia may accuse the EU of it, but Russia isn’t any different. Prior to now, Ukraine was Russia’s economic pet, tied up by its dependence on Russian gas and oil and free for exploitation. Regardless, why is Russia doing this? Well I think it’s simply to foster Russian nationalism in order to secure popularity amongst the population. Before the Ukrainian crisis, there was unrest in Russia. The economic reforms weren’t taking place, there were questions about corruption and everything wrong in the country. Putin simply wants to focus the attention of the Russian population on a different matter. Which works fine as Putin’s popularity has skyrocketed in the last few months. Propaganda is rife in Russia, and every Russian is spoon-fed with the might of Russia, and the ‘fact’ that Eastern Ukraine is simply a part of Russia. Quite frankly, I don’t think there’s any real economic or strategic motive to invade Ukraine like this. He doesn’t care about democracy, it doesn’t apply in Chechnya either (or the rest of Russia for that matter), and I don’t think he truly sees himself as the protector of all Russian people either, as he seems to have little issues with simply handing out Russian passports in regions where he’s performing his shenanigans either.
Now what should the EU do about this? Putin knows neither the EU the USA or the NATO wants to go to war with a country that can truly fight back, so he can play bluff all he wants. It worked in Transnistria and Georgia, and now it seems to have worked in Crimea as well. Did Russia stop there? No, it continues to stir up troubles in Eastern Ukraine with the same intentions as it did in Crimea. It’s a poker like bluff action; because the EU isn’t going to react in force, Putin can do as he likes. No I’m not saying we should go to (conventional) war, that would be a messy affair. Economic warfare is the way to beat Russia. Russia’s economy is big and rapidly growing. But it´s still a dwarf compared to the entire EU and will like many developing economies prove to be a house of cards when put to the test. Why? Well because Russia is far more dependent on the EU than the other way around. Sure, Europe needs Russian gas, though it’s nowhere near as dependent as it used to be, but Russia needs Europe to sell its Gas, as its economy is overly dependent on Gas sales. Moreover, Russia is dependent on Foreign Direct investment, of which 75% comes from the EU. (Granted, a good portion of that is Russian money going through Cyprus, but still). The EU is also Russia’s biggest trading partner by far. However the EU is the EU’s biggest trading partner. (Trading within the European Union is far bigger than trading with Russia.) So what should Europe do? Full out economic warfare, not the measly sanctions that are imposed now for the sake of imposing sanctions. I’d say forbid all financial transactions with Russia, close the borders and shut off the gas. That kind of stuff. You’ll see that Russia’s economy will collapse in an evening, all capital will flee the country, even Russian millionaires will park their money somewhere else (like in Cyprus) or go broke. Then the Russia’s economy will be in tatters and Putin can explain that to his people. Of course, such harsh sanctions may not be necessary, merely earnestly discussing such sanctions in public will already strike a good blow to the Russian economy.
Now you may say that such actions are against all laws. But remember that Putin doesn’t play by the rules either. One could say that we should not ruin the average Russian Joe (or vlad) for the actions of his leader. But Putin(and friends) made that decision for his country and thought it was worth taking the risk.
Ok, and then every region of Russia can vote “democratically” to form their own country and borders by your insane example. What is wrong with you people. Can’t you imagine what the world would look like if every sovereign nation started this kind of thing? Where does it end? Get real. Besides that most of Russia belongs to Mongols and Vikings and the Tartars so while your at it why don’t you give most of Russia back to them. This is idiotic on so many levels.
I am all for freedom of speech and essential freedoms, but it is sad that a group such as Pussy Right is idolized as a symbol for human rights in Russia. After all, these are girls (and guys) who have masturbated in public spaces – with their children looking on – and have committed other nonsensical acts such as stuffing chickens up their genitals in public. Please, do some independent research on them. They are DEFINITELY not the people our children should look up to (and neither is Putin).
May 15. FINMARKET.RU – Vladimir Putin’s electoral rating continues to grow, he surely would win the presidential elections if they were held next Sunday, “Interfax” sociologists “Levada Center,” conducted a survey in April of 1602 people in 130 settlements 45 regions.
Currently, 49% of citizens of the Russian Federation as a whole and 81% of those who have already decided on the choice among the candidates would give the election vote for Putin.
This choice of the citizens .. us better live in a country ruled by Putin, than in a democracy, as, for example, the United States, which constantly war ..
A little bit yes but basically no.
Ask the Russian Gay Comunity if hes misundestood or simply a ruthless Fascist Dictator?
He should be “persona non grata” in the whole Europe.
NOPE!!!!!!
Yesss
Yes, he is an Man who stands for his Folk and Land; something that Western Europe, in been hoodwinked and brainwashed by many forces behind the scenes, have led us to think are bad elements. If one hates his own, then he truly can never frithe (be at peace).
I think he is the wrong person for Russia and it’s relations with Europe. Not that Europe does not have a fair share of blame, by being too close to Uncle Sam and continuously suffering from Russophobia. Russia and Europe should become closer partners. We have common borders and we are close trade partners. Sadly no side trusts each other and Putin with his policies and megalomania is not helping. He should have never invaded Ukraine, trying desperately to keep the country under Russia’s sphere of influence. To me it would be a more clever thing, if he could allow Ukraine in the EU, and thus having millions of Russians as EU citizens that could influence Europe. A Russian from Ukraine as an elected MEP or Commissioner would work miracles in helping the two sides to get closer together, and influence Europe from within, rather annexing Crimea. I am sorry but Putin is a relic of the past and needs to go. For the good of Russia and Europe. But Europe must change too and stop being the underdog of USA… An independent Europe in its foreign policy, independent from Uncle Sam, reaching out to a Putin free Russia and other emerging powers like the BRICS nations, would be a far more beneficial for Europe than being glued to America’s hips!
Luis go and ask your gay friends in U.S. allied Saudi Arabia and Qatar what it’s like to party there instead.
He looks back at URSS. He is dictator.
Not only Putin?s Russia but Russia has always been misunderstood by the West…Thanks for provoking the debate!
I doubt it. The main reason for not liking Vlademir Putin is probably the fact that both EU and USA is a much parts of the conflict in Ukraine as Russia is. Furthermore, an idea of a thread from Russia might motivate the European countries to buy more weapons and in that way support the economy of U.S.
No, actually many thinking people in the West don’t like what the ‘West’ represents today. Banks, debt, taxes, modified food, hypocrisy, WAR, and more debt. Eurasia is the future, NATO has exhausted its role and is now just an offensive organisation.
No because he is the dictator who creates the culture in Russia!
Russia is ruled by a gang of thugs
pparanoja
:)
What do we really know about Putin, anyway?
Putin is the best !
Marta Cairoli
Nope, it’s pretty clear what Russian leaders are motivated by (power and money). If there is something not understood about the people it’s why they tolerate a standard of living barely above subsistence level while those leaders and their friends are flying around in gold airplanes, running down pedestrians in their Lamborghinis and swilling vodka to perpetuate the perception of the boorish,uncultured Russian while on vacation in Austria or St. Moritz.
The Russians you hang out with in London, St.Moritz and Gstaad are not Russians.
It’s about power and money to put it simply.
Yes
Russia has been misunderstood the Europe
They are creating a new proxy war
Listening to Western media HYSTERIA about him is sad and pathetic to be frank, US simply cannot allow Europe and Russia to be freindly neighbours, thus they have created this war/wall in Ukraine, EU has already lost 20 billion euros in trade because the US said so, Putin is not the problme, hes the solution to growth in Europe and the world.
Excellent to see my dearest divine boundless loving Mittrivideb.
Russia has restored it’s place as world power and as such they have worldly ambitions. Their misunderstendment is simply their lack of support from any major power. Nor Turkey nor China are too hasty in their international support for the russian claims in Crimea. This wont change when Donetsk and Lugansk claim independence and join the Russian Empire.
Let’s suppose I am Russian and the Prime minister of Russia on the actual world. I would be desolated by the fall of the soviet empire but would recognize that the system had no legs to walk forward. I would have the ambition of to develop my country and turn Russia one of t he major players of the world. So far, very fair. Should I take similar measure like Mr Putin? No, of course not. If the soviet system is no viable, I would turn my eyes to the most successful countries in the world, like Germany, the Scandinavian countries, Holland and so on. I would try to implement business within borders and not favour monopolies. I would welcome foreign investments particularly from Europe. I would favour a friendly attitude with Europe and even ask a favoured link with the European Union – EU towards a later integration. On this way, I would work for tight links with Europe and one day I would be a plain member of EU, an European Union from Lisbon to Vladivostok, embodying the strategic target of the Eurasia block a major player in the World. Guess who would be the major player in that EU? Instead of that what had Mr Putin has done? Favoured monopolies and oligopolies and not the small and medium companies. Did not favoured the economic integration with Europe. Attacked and conquered land in Georgia and now in Ukraine. Isolate themselves and organize propaganda to the Russian people creating a new cold war environment. Lent money to extreme right parties in the hope of dividing European countries and the split of EU. If the Russian strategic theorists were looking for an Eurasia, they can go to sleep because that is the last options on the right direction. Russians politicians, from the History, have a tendency to isolate themselves. The only smart Russian politician was Peter the Great. The others took Russia to isolation and left Russia behind.
Yes Putin is misunderstood in the west because the west doesn’t understand Russia and it’s need for autocratic government. Until we get this, any attempt to deal with Russia as an equal will fail. Until then, we will remain its enemy and hydrocarbon prisoners of the bear.
I am amazed by how much support Putin’s Russia is getting in the comments on the main page (mainly by the EU commentators) That means that general population is not easily manipulated by politicians and media these days, thank to the internet.
It’s not Russia who is misunderstood. It’s the politics that Russia is practicing in order to fulfill its objectives and to be able to compensate the country’s traditional lack of performance that doesn’t fit our system of values. We have to take a look inside Russia’s sick body to understand the need for such a political behavior. We need to accept what common russians won’t: Russia’s incapacity of a proper economical momentum due to it’s lack of experience and tradition in private business and free market concept, along with an extremely high level corrupt administrative system. Let’s admit that in Russia, former communist country with equally poor/rich people, in less than a decade already existed “business men” richer and more powerful than entire historical business families from the west, mostly by hijacking state factories or other means of production, extraction, commerce or distribution. In most cases they don’t even handle the management of these businesses. The state has to balance these factors in order to maintain a functional state and, in order to prevent separatism inside it’s own frontiers, it has to project a common objective, a common threat, by presenting different moral values from those entities that might be also economic competitors. In the past it was about the idea of communism. Today it mutated towards common people’s fears, preconceptions, obsessions or religious or non religious beliefs and towards the nostalgic period when USSR was ruling more then half of Europe. Putin is just the madman willing to take this kind of politics to accomplishment, knowing his incapacity of fighting corruption or increase economical efficiency in order to become an equal party in Europe.
Yes,because he is a democratic popular PM of a peace loving country .
I think he is just taking to much power and he wants to keep power forever . Their democracy is really strange ! All is about Putin . I don’t like it .
…and he has around 80% approval rating where in Europe the puppet leaders are lucky if they get 40.
stop running errands for the US – if they want a war with russia, then please keep us out of it. EC should man up, and start having their own oppinions…
Yes he is…
He his the new Hitler. Who like him now wlll apologige after the war.
Europes future is not to change the borders but to make them unimportant to the eueopean citizens, that is the point that old russian thinking do not understand, but many russian people does
The point is that the West does not understand itself, what, incredibly it did in Vietnam, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya … not to go beyond
Tell me when the West has done something really politically right after landing in Normandy ..
And Putin belongs in full to this story.
Maybe Romano Prodi could help a bit ‘about it. The only one I see on-line with the times we live. In Italy we preferred the excellent Mattarella, because Prodi now belongs to the world. The best President of the European Commission ever.
That is my best thinking about the issue, at the moment…
A couple of weeks ago he was at dinner with Vladimir, invited by him in Kremlin. The same shortly before and later in Peking.
http://www.losio.com
Is Russia misunderstood definitely, Is it misrepresented by the west?..defninitely. However, in the west we’ve always been brought up to believe that Russia is bad and America or Nato are the good guys. But, If we put ourselves in the shoes of the average Russian, then the tables turn 180 degrees. Now add the simple reality of E.U expansion into what was traditionally a Russian sphere of influence, The 3 baltic states, Poland etc and then, on top of that, the overthrow of a democratically elected govt in Ukraine that chose to build stronger ties with Russia than with the E.U. Therefore, I can well understand why Russia is acting so agressively. Anyone who feels backed into a corner will come out fighting, why should Putin be any different? Now let’s give an example by using history….at the end of the first world war: the good guys, being Britian, America and France, basically raped Germany and by doing so, set the wheels in motion for World War Two. This is exactly what we’re doing right now to Russia…Many Russians see the west as raping their country and are looking to their President to stop it. So is Russia being treated unfairly ? Yes, is it being misrepresented? again, the answer has to be yes. But, and it’s a biiig but, is Russia doing the right and honourable thing in sending the ‘little green men, or the Russian, ‘volunteers’to Ukraine? then definitely not and the E.U must send an unmistakable signal to Russia in this regard. There should be permenant bases in all countries bordering Russia with a clear message of threat. Not defence,…of threat. A ‘line in the sand’ if you will. Any incursion into E.U or Nato controlled airspace should be met with a zero tolerance policy. However, trade sanctions should be eased,….they only ruin the economy and the first people to hurt are the ones who don’t have much to start with. This would undermine Putin’s ability to show his people that the West are ‘starving’ them, but at the same time, send an obvious signal that his actions are unacceptable and need to change.
First of all the west cant be one whole- the usa views Russia in one way , the west Europe in quite diff fashion or it should be that way. Merely coz Russia is a part of Europe. And it is an ex- empire attempting to restore its power and influence on world deals. I think , though Russia has that right , its ‘ approach is wrong. Yet the approach of the West to Ukraina was also wrong- very wrong. As a result we have a full shitty mess.
,liar and swindl! as always
Putin’s Russia is before all a problem of Russians- they have the right to say whether he is good or bad. Russia though regardless of who governs it is a state , intern power and thus a partner or enemy of other states. Russia should not be regarded by the EU as an enemy but more as a partner after all because it is located in Europe. Europe doesnt belong to the usa, nor shlould it belong to Russia Germany or France of course.
Yes.
Putin started in KGB so what can you expect he does see the world ?
‘Misunderstanding’ is too naive for the international relations scale. I hope our foreign relationships representatives are not that idiots to have those ‘misunderstandings’.
We (in Europe) are just doing the job for our bosses in the USA.
Whole article is full of sh*t ;)
No, Russia is just a big country with imperialistic background and very old mentality. In addition, it has unlimited resources that makes her think she doesn’t need to collaborate in order to survive. All these factors make Russia a very dangerous cytizen of the world.
Russia is another voice, Europe is fellowing USA, but Europe forget always that Rusia is just next the door and can make troubles ….
I am not a russofob. I appreciate russian culture and art. I have friends that are coming from the russian pool. There are many smart and goodthinking people. I just said they do not have any interest in harmonising their mentality to social concepts like freedom, as long as their basic mentality is medieval.
The west doesn’t need to understand Putin, it needs to understand Russia and stop seeing them as something strange and inferior. The west does not need to understand autocratic governments like Putin’s one, but it needs to get rid of its russophobia and its superiority complex with Russia. The west does not need to understand anti-western people, but needs to understand the sense of community that Russia has as opposed to western European individualism. The west does not need to understand why Russia survives while Europe changes, but it needs to understand why it survives. The US must understand once and for all that they can not play with the world as their playground. Europe needs to understand that tolerance must not mean renouncing to our traditional values. Russia needs to understand that they can not force peoples to be on its side if they want not too. And Europe must learn to respect the will of the people EVERYWHERE.
Yes it is. We still don’t get what Putin is all about.
“An extraordinary letter addressed to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, among other recipients, reportedly sent from the Russian Parliament … says Russia is ready to mobilize all forces?
http://www.newsweek.com/russian-parliament-warns-europes-longstanding-peace-jeopardy-306751
EU is seeing as something strange and inferior by Russia….
West does not want to know the truth! Europe slaves of America. America hands of Europe, provokes Russia to War!
There are two things that I would like to comment:
First, The United States and Europe should make themselves credible in defending the human rights by being fair and impartial. They have accused Russia for its notorious human rights record, but have failed to criticize their allies among others the Saudi Arabia and Egypt for despicable breach of human rights of their own citizens.
Second, I don’t think the west misunderstood Putin. They know Putin from the very start as a man full of ambition and has a dictatorial attitude in treating his people. I guess what the west did was that they under estimated him and the power he could do to harm the world. They cannot harm Russia without harming themselves in effect. Sanctions are ineffective; military action would only bring the world into pandemonium; the best option is diplomacy by which the a main objective is to explore common grounds that would benefit all…
Its help to balance world power.
Question Is, does US military presence in Ukraine violate the Minsk Peace Deal?
Wtf, seriously?
True
The West doesn’t understand that Putin is a paranoid thug and he doesn’t care about international law or negotiations.
Russian FM, Lavrov’s, call for 21st century Euro-Atlantic security architecture indicates goodwill and a desire for a common, shared greater Europe
In January Ukraine signed a $17 billion IMF rescue package – translation: Monsanto land grab. On another note, Hunter Biden is fiddling around playing his Risiko, still imagining owning the Donbass through Burisma holdings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H1OHUhdplE
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Srsly ?
Well I think the borders of the Russian bear are smaler after the USSR’s colapse so the Russians are felling claustrophobic. NATO is not playing a smart role here provoking Russia. Playing with the Fire was always danger.
he is a tyrant who wants all the nations surrounding Russia to obey him, it is as simple as that
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I am Ukrainian, Russia already a year killing us.
Im from the UK and was drawn to the title of this article, as I am only fed the western narrative regarding Russia, as I am sure Russians are fed regarding the west, and I wanted to educate myself without this interference. This COULD have been an interesting article if you’d asked somebody with a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of what they were talking about, ideally someone who is independent from both Russia or the West, or else is able to emotionally and intellectually distance themselves while answering the question. Even better if you included a variety of theories. Pussy Riot sadly are musicians who have just got out of prison, so all we have really learned is what THEY think, and they are neither comprehensively informed, or unbiased. Wasted opportunity. I’ll keep looking.
Well, it’s like this, I am Russian. I was born in the world’s largest country (by size, not population, that is China) but only half the population of America. Ours: 150 million. America: 300 million.
This means theoreticaly that we have if Kensey was correct approximately15 million non-heterosexuals (LGBT) in our country, though most congregate in Moscow or St. Peterburg and perhaps the third largest city (largest city on east of Urals) Novosibirsk. That is a huge amount of people!
Pres. Putin unlike my closest American colleague believes, is not the ‘Devil Incarnate’! (However, I DO indeed believe that Donald Trump IS)! Putin has done quite a bit for Mother Russia and has brought the standard of living up. However (and again this could be only hype from American and Western media) to my understanding there seems to be a strong element of homophobia in my country — as high as 80% the highest on the planet. Now whether this is actually true or not, due to the hate mongering ans character defamed Western media, I just do not know. I thus have no REAL idea just wher President Putin stands with regard to LGBT issues.
I do know that homosexuality has been legal only twice in our history. That brief period under Влади́мир Ильи́ч Улья́нов (otherwise more commonly known internationally as Lenin) from 1917 (a centennial this year!) to the begin of Josef Stalian (who was NOT Russian but Georgian!) who recriminalized it, then again in 1993 either under the leadership of Boris Yeltsin or Mikhael Gorbachov and remains fortunately legal today as I write this.
But either Putin does have some homophobic issues that need to be resolved — or that indeed the outside media has been perpetuating a gross lie as a means to discredit Putin proper. I do not know as currently I am outside of my homeland.
However I do know that the Russian Orthodox Church has a huge amount of influence, and I do know that they do seem as (due to misunderstanding of the Christian history of pagan Temple prostitutes — not modern day LGBT people!) there has been a disservice to not only the LGBT community, but to those outside of this group as well as to instigate strife and hostility against LGBT. If indeed Putin has been part and partial to this, then shame on his actions in this regard! However if this has been only hype from the outside media of something really small and insignificant then SHAME on the outside media for perpetuating a myth!
I am gay and I am RUSSIAN! One day soon I hope to be back in my homeland and to live in peace — even as a member of the LGBT Community! Potential15 million LGBT is no small potatoes!
I am sick and tired of the outside media slandering our country and portraying our President as the ‘Devil Incarnate’! To group him with Josef Stalin (Georgian) and Adolf Hitler (Austrian) is, so far as I am concerned, character defamation and grossly unfair! There is NO comparison — PERIOD!!!
спасибо!