"This is real threat, blackmail and possibly ultimatum": Merezhko on Putin’s statement about war with Europe
Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation and an MP from the Servant of the People faction, considers Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that Russia is ready for war with Europe dangerous.
He said this in a comment to Censor.NET.
"This is a very clear and fairly obvious threat. Such things have been typical of Russia since Soviet times — they have always made threats using precisely this wording and in this manner. They did not say outright: We intend to fight and are preparing for war. After all, there is a principle in international law, reflected, incidentally, in the UN Charter, prohibiting the use or threat of force in international relations. Putin cannot openly state that he is threatening to start a war against Europe. So he phrases it in a way that makes everyone understand: this is a real threat, blackmail and possibly an ultimatum. But he does so without making it sound like a direct violation of the principle prohibiting threats of force in international relations," the MP said.
According to the politician, all European leaders understand the danger these threats pose.
"What matters is that Putin is afraid to openly call the United States an enemy and threaten to use force or start a war against the US. In recent years, Russian propaganda and Putin have, for some reason, viewed Europe specifically as the enemy. Incidentally, it is not even entirely clear what they mean, because there is the European Union, but that is not all of Europe. For example, the United Kingdom is not an EU member. So the statement is somewhat vague in terms of its intended target. However, European countries recognise that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is only the beginning of its further expansion. The ultimate goal is to establish hegemony over all of Europe, as in Soviet times. And that is impossible without further acts of aggression against other European countries. Frontline states are currently most at risk. In light of recent events, the aggression against Ukraine and the hybrid war that Russia is already waging against European and NATO countries, all of this takes on a very dangerous meaning," Merezhko stressed.
He noted that European leaders recognise that the best option is to deter Russia.
"Putin is trying to sow division in transatlantic solidarity — between NATO’s European members and the United States. He is trying to exploit a certain ambiguity on Trump’s part, as the American president is not taking as firm a stance as Biden did when he said the US would defend every inch of NATO territory. Trump is not making such a statement. So Putin senses a certain weakness here and opportunities for himself. European countries are already discussing what to do. Can they fully rely on the United States? Unfortunately, such discussions are taking place. They are looking for ways forward. For example, French President Macron proposed to other European countries the creation of a 'nuclear umbrella'. After all, ultimately, this is about nuclear deterrence of Russia. This is the only thing that can work and deter Russia from its plans to turn the existing hybrid war into more overtly aggressive forms of open warfare against European countries. Germany and some other European countries are trying to increase their weapons production capacity because they understand that this is also the best way to prepare for a Russian attack. It is now important to maintain Euro-Atlantic solidarity as well, because NATO is the main defensive alliance capable of deterring Russia," the chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation explained.
