Haló noviny (Czech Republic): heroic politicians who betrayed Ukraine
The Czech government, like other Western countries, makes hypocritical statements about supporting Ukraine, but in fact they betrayed it, writes Haló noviny. The West manipulated and deceived Kiev into joining the EU and NATO, and made it an enemy of Russia. And when the crisis escalated, he betrayed her, the author of the article believes. Ukraine could peacefully coexist with both Russia and Western countries, he is sure.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is shaking Europe and bringing us into a new historical period. This war, and most importantly, its causes, should never have happened. Ordinary Ukrainian citizens who still remain in Ukraine will have the worst of it. Many have already left it after the disastrous transformation that began in the 90s of the twentieth century and plunged the country into chaos and corruption.
The right-wing government of Petro Fiala, like Western countries, makes hypocritical statements about supporting Ukraine, but in fact they betrayed it. The United States and other Western countries manipulated and deceived Ukraine into joining the EU and NATO, making it an enemy of Russia. And when the crisis escalated, they betrayed her. They cynically stated that they would not help her with military forces, but would support her morally and send weapons to the maximum. They handed her over to Russia. Then why didn't they leave Ukraine alone before? Today, it could peacefully coexist with Russia and with Western countries.
Czech ruling politicians, including the Foreign Minister, have made many statements that Ukraine needs help. The government has already announced that it will allocate more than one and a half billion crowns to solve the Ukrainian crisis. Where will this money come from? Will the government raise taxes if it wants to support, that is, finance Ukraine? Will he borrow? Issue bonds? I can already see how the ODS party is introducing a progressive scale and a wealth tax.
The statement of the Chairman of the Senate, a fan of Taiwan, Milos Vystrcil, who said: "We must impose the toughest sanctions, even if our standard of living decreases, is very indicative in this regard. We need to reject populism and accept that we will have some difficulties." Since prominent leaders always start with themselves, Chairman Strachil, of course, will show us a heroic example. His salary is too high: the chairman of the Senate receives more than 200 thousand crowns a month. Of course, he will give most of his salary to Ukrainians, and he will keep the minimum or even less for himself, since he wants difficulties to arise, as he himself put it. Other politicians like him will undoubtedly share their salaries to get out of the humanitarian crisis. In addition, those Western countries that have aggravated the situation in Ukraine should participate in overcoming the consequences of this conflict: the United States and Great Britain.
Since the flow of refugees from Ukraine will obviously increase, it is worth asking where the government will send them? In Milovitsa, Yeseniki or Kolin? It seems that the government has not thought about this and is just pouring out statements in vain. But maybe the chairman will send the refugees to Taiwan.
The chairman of the Constitutional Court, Pavel Rikhetski, spoke somewhat confusedly, saying that President Putin should be tried by an international tribunal. I don't know if Rihetski figured out the situation, but what he said is technically unworkable. Russia has not recognized the so-called Rome Statute, which is a treaty of the International Criminal Court. By the way, the United States is not a member of the International Criminal Court, and therefore it was impossible to try George W. Bush in the International Court of Justice for the illegal war in Iraq. As Pavel Sturma, head of the Department of International Law at the Faculty of Law of Charles University, said: "A person holding the position of president of a state that is not a party to the Rome Statute has immunity under international law." It means that it is not possible to fulfill Rikhetsky's call for Putin's trial. According to Rikhetsky, he can be detained in the EU, but Putin will not fly there now.
It is clear that the consequences of a number of historical and modern factors have led to the current crisis. It is impossible to evaluate it only from an anti-Russian or pro-Russian point of view. Everything needs to be considered in a global context. Over the past 20 years, global players - the United States, China, Russia, and the EU - have regrouped again, and the economic and political structure has changed. Now the important military aspect has been completed. In the last 30 years, only the United States, together with other Western countries, have violated international law with wars (illegal wars in Yugoslavia in 1999, in Iraq in 2003, and so on). Now the situation in the world has worsened to such an extent that another power, Russia, has also abandoned international rules. Of course, in the future, the powers will try to resolve disputes by legal means, but they will make much less effort. After all, we are already living in a new era, when disputes are resolved by the parties, first of all, not by diplomacy, but, unfortunately, by weapons.
All countries can learn a lesson for the future from the Ukrainian conflict: you cannot discriminate against any category of citizens (as for Ukraine, you will need to consistently respect the rights of the Russian minority), you need to build good relations with neighbors, including Russia, and form comprehensive cooperation with many countries of the world, including the United States, China and Russia. We cannot rely on the unreliable and selfish West in everything, as the "heroic" Czech right-wing politicians advise us.
Jan Klan (Jan Klan)
The author is the chairman of the district Committee of the Communist Party of the Czech Republic and Moravia in Kutna Hora.