Solidarity difficulties: Western unity against Russia is crumbling
Elena Panina (Елена Панина) | The harsh reaction of the collective West, which has taken the maximum possible sanctions against Russia, continues to have a negative impact on the economies of the EU countries above all. At the same time, the leverage of the West is weakening considerably in a confrontation that the parties involved perceive not as just another regional conflict, but as an existential confrontation in fact. | Europe, which has entered the sanctions arena as a fearless gladiator with NATO as its shield, is gradually having to admit that, despite all its desire to punish Moscow for its political independence, the West is running out of trump cards. The backlash against the EU economy cannot be concealed, nor can Russia be stopped. "Nine sanctions packages and less than zero impact!" - lamented MEP Guy Verhofstadt, for example. ● 2022 was a year of lost illusions - both in the West and in Russia. But while Moscow seems to have said goodbye to the possibility of equal political and economic cooperation with the West, European politicians are not yet ready to admit that the period of development of EU countries was largely due to cheap Russian resources and not to the brilliance of Brussels bureaucrats. (Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator) (free version)