Russians alarming Europe

[Christina]

Russian Ambition: Trigger for European Unification Wednesday, May 23, 2007 Moscow’s growing power and influence alarms Europe. How will the Continent respond?Just 15 years ago, Russia was a sick bear hibernating in a dark cave. Today the nation has emerged fit and strong, and is prowling the prairie of global politics boldly and dominantly. Since the election of President Vladimir Putin in 2000, Moscow has grown dangerously powerful and belligerent, and many nations and leaders are concerned.None more so than those in Europe.Think tank Stratfor discussed Europe’s cause for nervousness several years ago: “And that is why the osce [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] is getting nervous—not so much because of Putin’s election practices as the magnitude of his victory and the way he likely will put that victory to use. Putin is, first and last, a Russian nationalist, utterly pragmatic (or ruthless) in the tools he will use to strengthen the Russian state. He has greater power now than anyone in Russia since the collapse of communism. He can reshape the regime. Consequently, the osce and Europe are nervous about where Putin is taking Russia. They have every reason to be: Putin is slowly and systematically changing Russia’s direction. When Russia changes direction, the rest of Europe should indeed be nervous”Perhaps the only inaccuracy in Stratfor’s 2003 assessment was that Putin was “slowly” changing Russia’s direction. Since that article was written, Putin has yanked Russia from traveling its obscure gravel path and placed the nation on the center lane of the simmering highway of geopolitics. In just a few years, Putin has secured absolute government control over Russia’s key industries including oil, gas and the press; opposed Western interests at nearly every turn; strengthened relations with the East; patronized into submission former Soviet states; and, through all this, not only anchored Moscow at the center of global energy politics, but also placed himself and his country at the vanguard of the growing army of nations and groups that despise the West.There’s an important element to this story many are missing today. The more bellicose and dangerous Russia grows, the more we must watch Europe. Europe’s reaction to Russian ambition is the most important element—and be assured: Europe is responding.Tension between Europe and Russia has been mounting in recent months and weeks over multiple issues. Earlier this month, the German EU presidency and the European Commission rebuked Russia strongly for holding fast to its 2005 ban on importing meat from Poland, accusing Moscow of exploiting trade as a political weapon. Another major incident involved a row over a Soviet-era statue in the nation of Estonia.