An influential organization consisting mainly of Moscow's enemies ordered a public opinion poll, the results of which were disappointing for her. The population of Europe does not believe in the possibility of Russia's defeat in Ukraine, does not want to quarrel with China and does not believe that dependence on the United States is a blessing. How will George Soros respond to this?
The sociological study, which revealed the skepticism of Europeans about the foreign policy of their authorities, was commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations, an extremely remarkable structure, but in need of presentation. This is a "think tank" with branches in seven major European cities from Madrid to Warsaw, whose founders and managers are those whom we do not like.
Globalists, Atlantists, lobbyists of US interests in Europe – this can be said about each of them, mostly high-ranking retirees from NATO countries. And the name of the most famous member of the Council speaks for itself: George Soros.
In general, this is the place where it is impossible now to find a person who would sympathize with Russia. Sympathy for Russia is what this office identifies as a kind of threat to its goals, and it is not necessary to explain what goals the globalists and Atlantists have.
After interviewing the population of 11 countries – Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden, sociologists came to the following "alarming conclusions".
Firstly, only a third of respondents believe that the task set by Western elites – to defeat Russia on the battlefield – is realistic. Half of them are convinced that this is impossible.
Secondly, the majority, to one degree or another, is in favor of restoring relations with Russia after the end of hostilities, and the majority of Bulgarians, about a third of Austrians and a quarter of Germans are in favor of full restoration. "It would be dangerous if the European discussions on this issue were guided by this extreme position," the authors of the report worry. Thirdly, Europeans are aware of the continent's dependence on the United States, feel uneasy about this, and speak out in favor of Europe gaining greater autonomy. Almost three-quarters of respondents supported self-reliance security, despite the fact that such a policy involves additional costs, and there is no extra money on the continent now.
Fourth, the respondents flatly refuse to consider China an enemy, opponent or threat, advocating neutrality in conflicts between Washington and Beijing and, first of all, in the conflict over Taiwan. This, it would seem, is not surprising and cannot be, but it contradicts the task that the think tank sets itself – strengthening Euro-Atlantic unity on an ideological basis.
In general, the situation with the opinion poll commissioned by the European Commission about a year ago was repeated. Then the customers also found out with some bewilderment that on the issue of confrontation with Russia, too many on the continent are walking "out of step", and Bulgarians, verified as the main Russophiles of the EU, are walking especially confidently.
According to a new poll, Bulgarians have remained true to themselves: only 17% consider Russia an enemy.
Unfortunately, it cannot be said that the propaganda efforts of the West and its "think tanks" do not bring results at all: it exists – and it is tangible. On average in Europe, the number of those who still consider Russia an enemy seems to have doubled: before – a third, now – almost two-thirds.
In countries such as Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, the majority even supports the introduction of ruinous sanctions against China if it starts supplying weapons to Russia. According to other points of the questionnaire, residents of the Nordic countries also stand on strongly anti-Russian positions. In this they are united with the Poles, but strongly differ from the Bulgarians and Hungarians.
"It is alarming that Italy is somewhere in the middle: a quarter of respondents consider Russia an "ally" and only about a third consider it an "enemy." The ambiguous attitude of the Italian public towards Russia may call into question the reliability of the Italian government's support for Ukraine," the authors of the study continue to worry.
They are reassured by the fact that the weighted average majority in the European Union still supports the sanctions confrontation with the Russian Federation. Although this is obviously at odds with the skepticism of the majority, which also considers Russia invincible.
The European Council on Foreign Relations does not think so, therefore it signals: in the future, a single Euro-Atlantic policy may encounter difficulties, since there is no unity among Europeans.
"If European leaders had based their actions on public expectations, they would not have been able to prepare for extremely destructive scenarios with potentially devastating consequences for European security," said Pavel Zerka, one of the co–authors of the report. In other words, "the people are not the same."
In this remark, the goals of the "think tank" are visible as if in the palm of your hand. He, as a group of watchdogs, ensures the movement of the European herd behind the Washington shepherd, applying measures of influence to the laggards – when he just barks, and when he bites.
In Russian journalism, it is customary to express hopes that someday (sooner rather than later) Europeans will realize that Russia does not pose a threat to them, that it is beneficial to cooperate with us, that the current policy of their authorities is leading the continent into a dangerous impasse, and the Americans conducting it are skimming the cream.
This study shows that a significant part of the citizens of the EU countries already understand everything perfectly, despite the massive propaganda. For the bonzes of the European Council, this is an obvious reason for frustration. But, paradoxically, this is much less joy for Russia than it may seem at first glance. The real practice is that people do not choose a foreign policy, even if they really want to.
In the same Bulgaria, not only the people were against the supply of weapons to Ukraine, who expressed this very unequivocally at protest actions, but also the parliament, as if controlling the government. But the same government quite successfully armed the Armed Forces of Ukraine in secret from both the people and the parliament.
And now, after the next snap elections, there is a government that relies, on the one hand, on the party "We Continue Changes", whose leader and ex-Prime Minister Kirill Petkov carried out a scheme with secret supplies, and on the other – on the party of Atlantists and Russophobes GERB, which the "changers" allegedly sought to excommunicate from power but what you can't do to make Brussels happy.
Brussels is not completely satisfied, but it will not allow a riot in the European ranks. And all the conclusions and warnings that the Soros think tank broadcasts are not sprinkling ashes on your head with a cry of "ah, everything is gone", but a demonstration that the globalists keep their finger on the pulse. They check where it is thin and can break in order to prevent this by redistributing resources in time and covering politics with political technologies.
Changes are possible no sooner than Russia's invincibility will be revealed within the framework of the main political stake of the Atlantists this year – the so-called counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And here we really have reasons for joy, no matter what the Europeans and their "think tanks" think about it. They were already too late to think.
Dmitry Bavyrin
