24 June 2022 19:40

Politics

Path to EU, political crisis, and Orban's new pro-Russian "pas": What Ukraine to expect from West

Authors

Olexandra Zakharova , Ksenia Lisna

Ukraine has been reminded that without reforms it will not get into the EU. The West, meanwhile, is drowning in global and local political crises, while Russia is mining the Black Sea. Hungary demands to stop imposing sanctions against the Kremlin and revert to diplomacy to end the war.

offers an overview of Western media at the end of the week that became a landmark one for Ukraine, because it brought it closer to EU membership, but, unfortunately, has not yet resolved the difficult situation in the country’s East and South.

Ukraine was reminded of "homework"

Photo: Getty Images

Ukraine has homework to do before it becomes a member of the EU, even though it was granted candidate status. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, quoted by The Washington Post.

The outlet notes that Ukraine, along with Moldova, has only made the first formal step toward possible accession.

"But I am convinced that they will all move as swiftly as possible and work as hard as possible," von der Leyen stressed.

The author of the article believes that the EU decision is a morale boost to Ukraine, but without the necessary reforms, it will not become a member of the bloc. Kyiv has already received seven first steps from Europe that will help it not to lose a candidate status.

The publication cites Turkey as an example of an unsuccessful application: Ankara submitted it in 1987 and remains a candidate (but here, obviously, the problem is in democracy, from which Erdogan is distancing the country further and further away).

The West’s fatigue from war in Ukraine

Photo: collage of NYT photos

The Guardian published an article titled "Why the West risks condemning Ukraine to slow strangulation."

In particular, the article quotes a senior British officer as saying the West had no choice but to see Ukraine as just one phase in a decade-long battle with Russia.

"If Ukraine wins, Russia will never accept that. If Russia wins, it will go further," he warned.

At the same time, the British government worries that the West does not have the resolve to make long-term sacrifices and is already tired of the war. This concern is shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Next week, the European Council, G7, and NATO will discuss the next geostrategic alliances against Russia during their summits, and this could be a turning point in a 4-month full-scale war.

Political crises in the U.S. and Europe

Photo: pravda.com.ua

Political heat is rising in the West, the outlet writes: In the United States, President Joe Biden may face defeat in the midterm elections in November, and Donald Trump has become the bookmaker's favorite to win the White House in 2024.

Emmanuel Macron appears paralysed after losing his parliamentary majority when, despite his victory in the presidential election, "Putin-ist" Marine Le Pen Marine Le Pen won almost 90 seats in parliament.

Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has already lost elections in two states.

In Italy, Prime Minister Mario Draghi is under pressure over selling weapons to Kyiv.

Also, as already reported, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had survived a vote of no confidence within the Tory party, but may lose his post later.

The Socialist-led government in Spain has just been obliterated in the provincial elections in Andalusia.

Bulgaria’s governing coalition, which had been the leading anti-Russian government in the Balkans, fell in a confidence vote on Wednesday.

Ukraine needs weapons

Photo: WIkipedia

All these developments distract from Ukraine, and a serious geopolitical strategy against Russia at future summits instead of abstract discussions could solve the problem of war. In addition, Kyiv needs heavy weapons to be supplied to Ukraine here and now.

"If the weapons were not delivered, events may take a really bad turn. If Russian forces launched an attack on the north-east city of Kharkiv and broke through the frontline in the eastern Donbas region, there would be a big, terrible defeat for the west," The Guardian writes.

According to the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, Russia is playing on the West getting tired, but the West must not fall into the trap.

"Ukraine’s position is deteriorating and Russia is more aggressive than ever because they want to show the victories back home."

Gustav Gressel, a security expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, states that Kyiv is now dependent on supplies from the West. The tank shortage will be noticeable in two or three months, and there is also a lack of air defense. At the same time, speed is needed, and Europe, in particular Germany, does not show it.

"It does not mean Putin has won. He has damaged himself irreparably. But more of the same for longer by the west is probably assigning Ukraine to a slow strangulation," the author of the article believes.

Russia mines the Black Sea

Photo: Andriy Klymenko

According to a US official, Russian troops have been ordered to blockade the ports of Odesa and Ochakiv in Ukraine and are laying mines in the Black Sea, Sky News reports.

According to intelligence, Russia is already laying mines in the Black Sea near Ochakiv, and earlier the invaders mined the Dnipro River.

Millions of tonnes of grain lie idle in Ukrainian ports amid a blockade by Russian warships in the Black Sea, the outlet recalls.

Last night, the White House said the US and its allies were trying to get grain out of Ukraine. Most likely, the actions of the Russian Federation are a response to such statements.

Hungary demands to stop sanctions against Russia

Photo: Wikipedia

Hungary said the EU should stop imposing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and insist on a ceasefire and start negotiations, Reuters reports.

Balazs Orban, senior aide to the Hungarian Prime Minister stressed that the more sanctions the EU adopted the more they hurt the bloc, while Russia survived.

"At the end of the day Europe will be on the losing side of this war because of the economic problems. Our recommendation would bee that we should stop the sanction process," Viktor Orban’s aid said.

The outlet recalls that Hungary is one of the most pro-Russian EU countries, heavily dependent on Russian gas and oil. Russia is also building a nuclear reactor for Hungary.

Budapest had held up the sixth package of sanctions against Moscow with an embargo on Russian oil imports for weeks until it negotiated an exemption for itself. Therefore, the new statements of the country's leadership are a continuation of the same policy.

What should Ukraine expect?

The West has realized that a long war in Ukraine is unbeneficial for it, while at the same time, without a serious strategy of further economic blockade of Russia and heavy weapons for Kyiv, hostilities will only drag on, and political and food crises will deepen.

Russia, judging by the statements of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about an alliance against the Kremlin like the "Hitler coalition", keeps implementing its global plans to "bring the West to its knees." The only way to stop it is to help Ukraine win militarily, and the sooner the better.

The fear that Kyiv will shoot at depots in the Russian Federation and this will worsen business relations between Germany and Moscow or lead to World War III has so far shown that these are Kremlin chiller-dillers that work both against Ukraine and against the entire civilized world.