The utter paranoia of the Russian regime ahead of the Samara summit is quite extraordinary.
It is not Russia that is the victim of politically inspired hygiene checks on its exports.
It is not Russia that has been the victim of a politically inspired shut down on its major oil route.
It is not Russia that has been threatened over the moving of a World War II monument and had riots fomented in its capital by a foreign embassy (although in recent years we may note that they have demolished several monuments and even desecrated graves in order to build new roads).
It is not Russia that is the victim of Cyber-attacks that have crashed many major corporate and government websites.
It is not Russia that has had its Ambassador harried at every turn by thugs.
The Germans have kept the Samara summit alive, but if the Russian strategy was to divide and rule in the EU, the sheer brutality of their methods has eliminated any goodwill. The summit will be bad tempered, and without some serious Russian back pedalling, the issue will not be greater Russian partnership with Europe- but what sanctions the bloc will impose.
Europe is very close indeed to deciding that Vladimir Putin is not a man that we can do business with at all.
PS: I was interviewed at the BBC about the Samara summit at the ungodly hour of 5.30 this morning- interesting to see the increasingly firm editorial tone across the UK newspapers, even the weaselly Guardian had the cyber attacks against Estonia on the front page.
Russian blundering is hardening opinion in every quarter.
It is not Russia that is the victim of politically inspired hygiene checks on its exports.
It is not Russia that has been the victim of a politically inspired shut down on its major oil route.
It is not Russia that has been threatened over the moving of a World War II monument and had riots fomented in its capital by a foreign embassy (although in recent years we may note that they have demolished several monuments and even desecrated graves in order to build new roads).
It is not Russia that is the victim of Cyber-attacks that have crashed many major corporate and government websites.
It is not Russia that has had its Ambassador harried at every turn by thugs.
Russia has prosecuted these activities and not been the victim.
The Germans have kept the Samara summit alive, but if the Russian strategy was to divide and rule in the EU, the sheer brutality of their methods has eliminated any goodwill. The summit will be bad tempered, and without some serious Russian back pedalling, the issue will not be greater Russian partnership with Europe- but what sanctions the bloc will impose.
Europe is very close indeed to deciding that Vladimir Putin is not a man that we can do business with at all.
PS: I was interviewed at the BBC about the Samara summit at the ungodly hour of 5.30 this morning- interesting to see the increasingly firm editorial tone across the UK newspapers, even the weaselly Guardian had the cyber attacks against Estonia on the front page.
Russian blundering is hardening opinion in every quarter.
Comments
crazy leader of ex-super power which is still equipped with so many atom bombs... not so happy future for all of us. i hope that western states do realize that he has to be stopped. the westerners didn't stopped hitler in right time. now they still have the chance with putin and his fellow criminals.