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Keir Giles
@KeirGiles
, 5 tweets, 3 min read Read on Twitter
There are so, so many reasons why this seems a deeply misguided initiative. Where shall we start.

#France #Russia #RollOverForPutin

en.rfi.fr/europe/2019090…
2/ Resets don't work if you ignore the underlying deep differences in world view and strategic priorities between Russia and the West. Trying to patch up a fundamentally flawed relationship is no substitute for an honest conversation about what is wrong with it.
3/ In fact, they make things worse. Each time (and it happens routinely) that Russia is forgiven for its appalling behaviour, it encourages the Kremlin to believe that it will be forgiven for even worse excesses in the future. And why wouldn't they.
4/ There is even a recent and direct case study. France has played a key role in imposing ceasefires drafted in Moscow on the victims of Russian aggression. Or has Georgia, and the conclusions Russia drew from 2008, already faded from memory?
5 and P.S./ All of the above IS NOT NEWS; these are fundamental principles of dealing with Moscow, consistent over not decades but centuries, but repeatedly forgotten, or ignored, by Western leaders who think they can go against history. Quotes all from amzn.to/2SKa8ND
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#France #Russia #RollOverForPutin

More from @KeirGiles see all

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Keir Giles
@KeirGiles
Russia keeps surprising the West. Not because Russia is unpredictable or irrational; instead, it can be the West just not paying attention. Here are some ground rules for avoiding being surprised or dismayed by what Moscow does next.

Thread.
@ICDS_Tallinn @CHRussiaEurasia 1/ Russia is guided by its own understanding of how the world works. Try to see the world from the Kremlin to understand the internal logic that drives Russian decisions. And abandon any assumptions based on what the West would do.
@ICDS_Tallinn @CHRussiaEurasia 2/ But that doesn't mean Russia is right. Some (not all) parts of that world view are disastrously misguided. But right or wrong, Russia's belief system doesn't excuse Russian behaviour to other countries or to its own people.
Read 13 tweets

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Alexandre Krauss
@AlexandreKrausz
Pure intellectual dishonesty.

There's no standards to compare the democratic levels between a regime that has obliterated permanently (and still does) its citizens freedoms and rights with #France, a Nation that is driven by liberal values and norms. #Russia #Macron #Putin
Difficult but key the bridge set by #EmmanuelMacron towards #VladimirPutin vis a vis #Ukraine. “There is a real opportunity to put an end to the conflict that has been going on for five years,” Macron said at the start of talks with Russian President. france24.com/en/20190819-fr…
Pivotal for Europe's defence and security dimensions, the discussion that will cover the termination of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (#INF) and disarmament, during President's #Macron and President #Putin talks in #France. #Russia 📰▶️ news.com.au/technology/inn…
Read 3 tweets
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Jonah Bennett 🌐
@BennettJonah
France was the staging ground for the 1979 revolution in Iran, and more interestingly continues to be a major destination for opponents to the current regime, namely MEK.

en.rfi.fr/middle-east/20…
Followed by a very true insight about how big tents become very small tents.
Khomeini told Western journalists in France exactly what they wanted to hear. They were knee jerk anti-Shah and so made Khomeini into a mythical figure.

They were duped, as they frequently are about the intentions of new foreign regimes and new leaders--like Khmer Rouge.
Read 3 tweets
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David Cayla
@dav_cayla
Il n'y aurait donc "qu'un seul accord possible" pour organiser le #Brexit d'après la Commission.

Cet accord a pourtant été rejeté TROIS FOIS par le Parlement britannique. Il est donc logiquement qualifié "d'inacceptable" par Boris Johnson.

[#Thread]
lemonde.fr/international/…
Il faudrait commencer par employer des mots juste. On ne peut plus parler "d'accord".

Pour qu'il y ait "accord", il faudrait que les deux parties soient d'accord. Or, les britanniques ne le sont pas. On peut déplorer la position britannique mais pas nier les faits.
Comment en est-on arrivé là?

Theresa May a fait face à une délégation européenne intraitable. En septembre, au sommet de Salzbourg, le plan de Chequers fut rejeté sans ménagement et les britanniques en sortirent humiliés theguardian.com/politics/2018/…).
Read 15 tweets
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András Tóth-Czifra
@NoYardstick
A couple of more words about the terribly ill-advised decision of the @coe parliamentary assembly to bend to the blackmail of the Russian government and remove sanctions against #Russia. THREAD
This decision took three years of financial blackmail, rhetorical intimidation and possibly a fair amount of corruption. #Russia succeeded in arm-twisting Europe's most prominent human rights institution to change its own rules the way it wanted them, greatly weakening CoE.
Those who voted for this stunning capitulation should be ashamed of themselves; this includes the German and the French government as well as the Council of Europe secretary general @TJagland who supported the move.
Read 16 tweets
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Olivier Guitta
@OlivierGuitta
#Russia-n mercenaries are now showing up everywhere in #Africa: one country in particular is the #CAR where Russians are also providing weapons. Also present in the #Niger Delta of #Nigeria actually helping the rebels that target the western oil companies. bit.ly/2KkU0OD
Fascinating story on how #Russia entered the #CAR. It was blocking a delivery of weapons from #France to #Bangui so #Macron told CAR President to go and convince Russia to unblock the sale. Instead Russia saw an opportunity to sell its own weapons to CAR. bit.ly/2rj8kyH
3 #Russian journalists killed in #CAR while filming #Wagner, the private military firm run by Evgeny #Prigozhin used especially in #Syria, part of #Putin's inner circle. Documentary was part of @tzurrealism, supported by Mikhail #Khodorkovsky.
Read 41 tweets

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