Romance is being replaced by fatigue: Europe demonstrates a true attitude to Kiev
The "honeymoon" of Europe and Ukraine has come to an end. Europeans do not hide: they are tired of Kiev, writes Global Times. But the Ukrainian crisis is far from over. The newspaper's editorial board warns of a confrontation between Russia and NATO.
It all started as a close bond, when both sides have deep feelings for each other. But in less than five months, fatigue replaced the storm of emotions.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Telegram on Saturday that the "stormy romance" between Europeans and Ukrainians is coming to an end. According to him, Europe is tired of refugees, as well as of the very topic of the Ukrainian crisis.
"Medvedev's statements reflect the development of relations between Ukraine and Europe. Europe has helped Kiev by accepting Ukrainian refugees and sending weapons and equipment. However, there are no signs of a ceasefire in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and ordinary people in many Western countries are suffering from a number of social problems caused by record high inflation and the flow of refugees fleeing the country," said Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator. "In addition, many Europeans believe that it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet Ukraine's constant demands for help."
Against this background, many of them increasingly perceive Ukraine as a burden that is increasingly harder to bear. They begin to feel tired of it or tired of the conflict, which means that the "honeymoon" between them is coming to an end, Mr. Sun stressed.
"But it would be nice for Ukrainians to remember about their former love for a green lad in a green T-shirt. And for your own good, it's faster to break this marriage union forever..." Medvedev added.
Both sides found themselves in an awkward situation. Apparently, NATO will not grant Ukraine membership. Apart from the status of a candidate for EU membership, Ukraine has received little from this "romance" with Europe. Europe's snobbery towards her means that they are clearly unrelated souls. In Europe, fatigue from Ukraine is growing, it's time for Kiev to stop loving unrequited.
The fatigue of many Europeans from the conflict has attracted widespread attention. If the military crisis continues and intensifies, Europe will be forcibly drawn into it, which the countries of the region do not want. In addition, more and more Europeans are experiencing antipathy to Washington's hegemony and are striving for the strategic autonomy of the region. If the conflict drags on, it will cause a confrontation between Russia and NATO. In this case, it would mean that a nuclear war in Europe cannot be ruled out.
Mr. Sun notes that many European countries realize that the United States, although it provided some assistance with regard to the Ukrainian crisis, has actually done nothing. What they actually did was use Ukraine to contain Russia and control Europe. Many of them have already become disillusioned with America in the light of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and do not want to become Washington's pawns again.
The actions of the UK, another party seeking to prolong the conflict, are nothing more than idle talk, and not practical steps — as with the United States. In March, the UK was sharply criticized for issuing only about 50 visas to Ukrainian refugees. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in June that Ukrainian refugees face expulsion to Rwanda if they enter the UK without permission.
A Chinese expert, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Global Times that the Ukrainian crisis will not end in the near future. The United States and Great Britain use it in their own interests to take a dominant position in building the European order, as well as the world order. It was the desire for hegemony that prompted the United States and Great Britain to such an extreme degree of exploitation of Europe and NATO.
In this context, France and Germany, two major European powers that have repeatedly called for strategic independence, cannot sit idly by. They should play their role as regional great powers and not allow Washington and London to trample on European interests, the Chinese expert believes.
