US & EU in Ukrainian Crisis: Who Really Reaps Benefits from this Gamble?

Washington and Brussels continue to take anti-Russian position in the Ukrainian crisis, actively supporting the putschist leadership of Ukraine, which grabbed power unconstitutionally. The extension of the US and EU sanctions against Russia and their financial support for the de facto Ukrainian government indicate that the West is fully misunderstanding the political situation in Ukraine. In fact this narrow-minded and short sighted Western policy exacerbates the confrontational and uncompromising attitude of Ukrainian neo-Nazi extremists while in certain cases the country’s security forces continue their onslaught committing extrajudicial killings of civilians.

In actual verifiable conditions of civil war that Ukraine goes through at the moment any foreign financial assistance to the de facto authorities in Kiev translates as support in the fight against their political opponents. Such Western grants and/or loans will be used to purchase military equipment to be used as suppression tools of the opposition. This could lead to an uncontrolled spread of weapons, with a heightened risk that the conflagration infiltrates into the EU via Moldova, Romania and Poland. And will Ukraine be able to give back the credits granted to her at all? If, as a result of the civil war, the entire wealthy South-East of Ukraine is destroyed, where will the economic base be to generate income in order to return the loans? If the supporters of Federalism win in the forthcoming elections will they admit “old debts” to foreign borrowers? Allocating funds to wage a civil war is a sign of inefficient and utterly irresponsible management. In addition, the disbursement of financial assistance to Ukraine by the IMF diverts resources that could have been used for the solution of major socio-political and economic problems of the world.

Taking into account the numerous Russian and Ukrainian communities within EU member states, the civil war in Ukraine is bound to have a negative influence on their internal situation. Therefore, it is more wise for the European Union to promote the idea of seeking a political settlement in Ukraine rather than focusing on the business-project of the USA to support nationalists who came to power in Kiev.

As for sanctions against Russia, the US and the EU are trying to reach a common policy. However, a close analysis of international media shows that opinions on this issue are diverse. Many analysts conclude that new sanctions will not cause significant economic damage to Russia. On the contrary the European Union states will suffer mostly because they have closer economic ties than the US does with Moscow. Europe depends largely on Russia in the energy sphere. With the aggravation of the situation in Ukraine a barrage of calls from corporate managers came down on the high-ranking European officials with a demand not to take any steps that will jeopardize their business interests in Russia. Thus, the German businessmen insist on a diplomatic solution of the conflict and indicate the serious consequences of the sanctions firstly for the German economy. Italy, Greece and the Republic of Cyprus are also against toughening of sanctions, fearing dire consequences for their economies as well.

It is quite clear that of the two Western players involved in the Ukrainian crisis, Europe will suffer more. The US are the most active ally of those, who came to power by force of arms, and they, unlike their Western partners, stake out their main geostrategic goal: to get closer to Russia’s borders and to create a hot spot of instability there. Therefore, does Europe need the path that goes to the detriment of its interests and the welfare of their States? Does the EU need this blind devotion to Washington, which uses the EU to satisfy its own imperialist ambitions? We may remind ourselves of the top US policy-makers mindset with regard to Europe – it is not so long ago (March 2014) US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland referred to Europe in the most derogatory and undiplomatic terms using obscene language …

Besides it is necessary to realize that the Western sponsors of the Ukrainian nationalists will have to share with the local perpetrators responsibility for all committed crimes: violent overthrow of constitutional authorities in a sovereign state, unnecessary loss of human life, promotion of neo-fascist activity, creation of chaos, physical attacks, provocations, threats, spread of propaganda and misinformation. So, does Europe need all this? Does it want to share this responsibility with the US, who are ready to bring anyone to power, even the devil, if only not to lose their influence, as well as to get into the sphere of national interests of Russia? The answer is obvious, it’s time to wake up, follow common sense turning away from the wrong path. And let the US take on their own burden of responsibility and consequences of their gamble.