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Excellent “how to deal with Russia” programme by @bctallis.
Discussions on EU-Russia relations tend to go round in circles along the lines “Russia is our neighbour” and “we can’t change geography”. Some thoughts from me to add to Ben’s thread:
Discussions on EU-Russia relations tend to go round in circles along the lines “Russia is our neighbour” and “we can’t change geography”. Some thoughts from me to add to Ben’s thread:
As a Finn it’s borderline gaslighting to hear these statements from esp Germans and French, as Russia *actually* is our neighbour (which it is not, contrary to popular belief, to Germany or France) and we very well know that we can’t change geography.
Precisely because geography can’t be changed and Russia is our neighbour, much of Finnish history is about how to best deal with Russia - which includes to a great extent how to protect ourselves from it. That’s why Finland never stopped preparing for a war.
How to deal with #Russia
- Short thread based on my talk at #LennartMeriConference 2023. #NeoIdealism
1. Ukraine's war is our war - & must be won.
That means restoring UA's 1991 borders & ensuring UA's ability to defend them - & the people within them.
- Short thread based on my talk at #LennartMeriConference 2023. #NeoIdealism
1. Ukraine's war is our war - & must be won.
That means restoring UA's 1991 borders & ensuring UA's ability to defend them - & the people within them.
2. After victory we have to get #Ukraine into #NATO & the #EU as fast as possible.
- As @SwedishPM has said:
This should be merit based but cannot again be an excuse for going soft or going slow on UA's accession.
- we have to institutionally tie our future to UA's.
- As @SwedishPM has said:
This should be merit based but cannot again be an excuse for going soft or going slow on UA's accession.
- we have to institutionally tie our future to UA's.
3. We have to overcome any residual fears of #Ukraine's victory and #Russia's defeat.
As @EliotACohen said in Warsaw - RU must lose & know it has lost:
on the battlefield, its offensive military capability for 10 years & has lost Ukraine for good.
As @EliotACohen said in Warsaw - RU must lose & know it has lost:
on the battlefield, its offensive military capability for 10 years & has lost Ukraine for good.
As #LennartMeriConference is drawing to a close, some take-aways from many stimulating debates on stage and in the margins.
Supporting Ukraine has become the only possible position to take. Yet the limits of Western unity are hard to hide, with constant arguments over:
🧶
Supporting Ukraine has become the only possible position to take. Yet the limits of Western unity are hard to hide, with constant arguments over:
🧶
- the extent and speed of military support to Ukraine, now focused on F16s
- expected outcome of the war, and what does the level of expectation mean for Western policy
- Ukraine’s path to NATO and EU membership, where major steps forward should be made this year
- expected outcome of the war, and what does the level of expectation mean for Western policy
- Ukraine’s path to NATO and EU membership, where major steps forward should be made this year
I just don’t get the logic of those who argue that Ukraine is unlikely to liberate all territories, and therefore we should limit Western support, but this argument keeps being made.
This week we’ve seen many signals that Western unity vis à vis Russia is thinner than we might wish. Also reflected at #lennartmericonference discussions thus far, in panels and in the margins. Some reflections 🧵
24 Feb. triggered a major shift in Western approach to Russia. Many past mistakes have been admitted, we've started to correct them by giving military aid to Ukraine, strengthening Nato defence on the Eastern flank, cutting energy dependence on Russia. It's work in progress.
But old instincts die hard. Here we are arguing over whether we should avoid humiliating Russia and whether to “save face” of a dictator and war criminal by compromising the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a democratic European country.
