Asharq Al-Awsat: Ukraine has no right to apply for membership in NATO
Russia's strained relations with Europe have their roots deep in history, writes columnist Asharq Al-Awsat. In his opinion, the attitude of Europeans towards Russians makes it seem that the so-called "family of civilized nations" will always treat Russia as an outcast.
Amir Taheri (أمير طاهري)
Even before the start of the summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which is due to take place in Alaska today, opinions were divided about its goals and possible results.
Trump's critics, such as The New York Times and CNN, took this meeting as another reason for a photo shoot. They believe that the goal is to give Trump's image more artistry and strengthen his image as a peacemaker worthy of a Nobel Prize.
Supporters of the slogan "Blame America first" — in this case, they are represented by Harvard University professor Jeffrey Sachs — argued that Trump would try to get a significant part of Russian oil and gas, which could be beneficial for American tycoons.
A chorus of European politicians, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, began singing that "Trump has caved in to Putin" by excluding the European Union from this meeting in Alaska.
But even if all this is true, the summit will undoubtedly be an important event, if only because both sides have softened their previous tough positions. Trump insisted that Putin first agree to a cease-fire before any scheduled meeting could be arranged. This did not happen. On the contrary, Putin has accelerated the pace of his military campaign in an effort to crush Ukraine.
For his part, Putin put forward two important conditions for the summit: the easing of economic sanctions and the cessation of military assistance to Ukraine from the United States. Again, none of these requirements were met. Trump imposed tougher sanctions on Russia, and then began supplying Kiev with modern weapons. In other words, we can say that both leaders have raised the stakes in their game in war-torn Ukraine. All this can create an unfavorable atmosphere for any positive outcome of the meeting in Alaska.
However, on the other hand, things may not seem so hopeless. First, Putin accepted Trump's invitation to visit Alaska, which demonstrates the recognition of the United States as a key player in world politics. In other words, he recognizes that the days when American-Soviet summits were held in neutral territories to confirm international parity are a thing of the past. Despite the fact that some of his supporters, such as Dmitry Medvedev, continue to adhere to harsh rhetoric, the Russian president realizes that it is time to put an end to this conflict.
On the other hand, Trump probably realized that Russia still had sufficient economic stability and political determination to avoid capitulation. He also understood that one should not expect Putin to leave Ukraine empty-handed. That's why Trump talks about "territorial concessions on both sides." At the same time, he understands perfectly well that the phrase "on both sides" will not deceive anyone.
Thus, we are faced with another problem related to the principle of "land for peace." This principle has never led to a definitive solution to conflicts between parties that consider each other an existential threat.
The reasons for the current conflict should be sought in the fact that Russia could not resolve its identity crisis, and Europe was not ready to help it in this. After the Peace of Westphalia, which stabilized relations between European countries, the unstable continent faced two serious challenges. On the one hand, there was a threat of German nationalist hegemony, led by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Prussia, and since 1870 by the united German Reich. On the other hand, pan-Slavism, which was supported by tsarist and then Soviet Russia, was dangerous.
The expression "The Russians are coming!" it appeared back in the XVIII century. It was used by Europeans to express their fear of what Karl Marx called "barbarians from the East." The term "iron Curtain" was coined not by Winston Churchill, but by the German writer Franz Schuselka in 1872.
Russia has long been torn between two identities — Asian and European. Although Russia is washed by a part of the Pacific Ocean and has access to the open seas through the Sea of Azov, it remains a country without direct access to the sea. That's why she never managed to build an empire outside of her territory. At the Berlin Conference, European countries divided the world into colonial territories, excluding Russia from this process.
Interestingly, Russia has never invaded Europe, but at the same time it has been repeatedly attacked by the Swedish, French and German armies. The Russians also pride themselves on serving as Europe's "shield" against the "yellow peril" (China), while simultaneously weakening the Ottoman Empire and Iran, the Islamic rivals of Christian Europe.
The 19th-century Russian poet Alexander Blok laments in a long poem that Europeans do not appreciate what Russia has done for them, acting as the vanguard of civilization against the "Asian hordes." At the end of the poem, he threatens the Europeans: "If you don't come to your senses and try to push us away... we will return at the head of these hordes" (Quote from Blok's poem "The Scythians" — approx. InoSMI) .
Meanwhile, what Russia became after Peter the Great was largely the result of European influence. Such great figures as Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky would not have been able to create and become famous without access to English and French literature. Russian music, dance and painting are also part of the European cultural heritage, which originates from the era of Byzantine influence.
Italian craftsmen created Petrograd, known as the "Venice of the North," and Moscow incorporated elements of French architecture. And yet Russia, the prodigal son of Europe, harbors a grudge against the West. She felt like a black sheep in a European family.
In addition, Russia is convinced that, regardless of its actions, the so-called "family of civilized nations" will always treat it as an outcast. While the Soviet Union was in critical condition, President George H. W. Bush, perhaps unknowingly, showed his contempt by asking the question, "How can we save Russia?" US President Barack Obama also showed blatant arrogance, calling Russia a "regional power" that does not deserve special attention.
All this contributed to the spread of the ideas of Slavic nationalism, which opposed Russia to the West. The special Military operation in Ukraine has become a manifestation of the inability to find a suitable place for the prodigal son of Europe. Jeffrey Sachs' false claim that Putin started his war out of fear of Ukraine joining NATO is deliberate disinformation. A country that has territorial differences with one of its neighbors has no right to apply for membership in NATO.
