While Europe continues its sleepwalking existence, made up of axes (Franco-German), triangles (Weimar: Poland, Germany and France) and processes (the incomplete Barcelona Process), more or less oriented towards the Mediterranean, there is only one axis that manages to function well: the Sino-Russian one

Davide Arcidiacono — Thu, 08 May 2025 11:33:46 +0000

Reaffirm the strength of their strategic partnership and make it clear that it cannot be influenced from outside. Signal that opposition to the West is possible. Use history as a rhetorical weapon to propose an alternative worldview to that of the West. These are the main objectives of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, who have already met more than 40 times and who, with the new summit in Moscow, are warning Donald Trump that breaking their “old friendship” is a mere fantasy. The Europe that is needed and that does not exist, unfortunately, is not yet a political entity. So there is no need to warn it. The occasion for sending all these signals is the 80th anniversary of Victory Day. The guest of honor at the military parade on Red Square will, of course, be Xi, who is expected to arrive in Russia today. Tomorrow, the Chinese president is expected to meet Putin face to face, with whom, according to the Kremlin, he will discuss the “most sensitive” issues: from the war in Ukraine to relations between Moscow and Washington, which Trump has rekindled in the midst of the tariff standoff between the U.S. and China. Then, of course, there is energy cooperation. This is where the “Power of Siberia 2” gas pipeline comes into play, which Russia has been insisting on building for years and which Putin’s foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov assures will be discussed at the meeting between the two leaders. This would be an important signal because, despite repeated announcements, the final green light has never come from Beijing, which is negotiating alternative (or complementary) projects with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The Kremlin has announced that a group of soldiers from Beijing will also take part in the May 9 parade, along with 12 other countries: a symbolic way of confirming the strengthening of relations between Russia and China. The Kremlin also claims that 29 international “leaders” will be among the foreign guests. The list includes the leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Georgian separatist republics that are not internationally recognized. In addition to Xi, Moscow is also expecting Brazilian President Lula, as well as Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic and Robert Fico, prime minister of an EU country, Slovakia: a visit that, if it takes place, would certainly not be viewed positively by Brussels. Putin’s regime wants to take advantage of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Second World War to renew its image in the midst of its military aggression against Ukraine. This cruel aggression is portrayed by Putin’s propaganda as a “defensive” war, based on the unfounded claim that the Ukrainian government is “Nazi”. In recent hours, speculation has spread about the possible (but complicated) presence of Kim Jong-un. This would be a sensational turn of events, given that Xi has always avoided suggesting the existence of a trilateral axis with Moscow and Pyongyang. It is unlikely that Beijing will give Kim the green light, knowing that it could jeopardize all relations with Europe, which Xi claims to want to revive for purely economic reasons. “Our relationship is among the most influential in the world,” the Chinese leader said in a message to world leaders in Brussels yesterday to celebrate 50 years of bilateral diplomacy. “We are strategic partners who support globalization and diversity. We must work together against trade bullying,” added Xi, who will host European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing in July. Beijing has also lifted sanctions on a group of MEPs in the hope of reviving talks on an investment treaty in 2021.

L'articolo While Europe continues its sleepwalking existence, made up of axes (Franco-German), triangles (Weimar: Poland, Germany and France) and processes (the incomplete Barcelona Process), more or less oriented towards the Mediterranean, there is only one axis that manages to function well: the Sino-Russian one proviene da Bubble report.

Brussels does not know what to make of Putin either – There is no consensus among member states on recognising the re-election from last March. While the institutions seem to have agreed not to attend the Kremlin ceremony, others – such as Greece, Malta, Slovakia, Cyprus and, of course, Hungary – will send delegates. Indeed, it will be strange to see EU politicians in the same room with Putin, Kadyrov and Steven Seagal

george — Wed, 08 May 2024 20:27:31 +0000

The European Union reported that it did not reach a consensus among its 27 member states to stop recognizing Vladimir Putin as the “president” of Russia.

According to European Pravda, Peter Stano, spokesperson for the EU’s External Action Service said that the EU as such does not have the power to recognize or not recognize someone’s authority.”

“Traditionally, it is up to the member states to make such a decision,” Stano said.

On 7 May Russia held an inauguration ceremony for Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that it is an attempt to create an illusion of legitimacy for Putin’s nearly lifelong hold on power.

Russia held a “presidential election” on 15-17 March in which incumbent President Vladimir Putin predictably secured his fifth term.

The EU representative said that if all 27 member countries unanimously said that they did not recognize the legitimacy of a country’s representative, as they had done in the case of Syria’s leader Assad, or the dictator in Belarus Lukashenko, then the EU could take that position.

He assured that there is no EU-wide position agreed by the 27 countries stating that the EU does not see Putin as the legitimate representative of Russia.

“The fact is that he sits in the Kremlin, and from the Kremlin, he is leading the most violent and brutal aggression in modern European history, the aggression against Ukraine,” Stano said.

The EU spokesperson noted that the bloc had expressed a consensus position on the so-called “presidential elections” in Russia in a statement on 18 March, agreed upon by all 27 member states.

The EU criticized the Russian “elections” as being held with numerous restrictions, without the participation of real opposition, and conducted in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

Stano assured that this EU position does not affect on the EU’s position of supporting Ukraine.

L'articolo Brussels does not know what to make of Putin either – There is no consensus among member states on recognising the re-election from last March. While the institutions seem to have agreed not to attend the Kremlin ceremony, others – such as Greece, Malta, Slovakia, Cyprus and, of course, Hungary – will send delegates. Indeed, it will be strange to see EU politicians in the same room with Putin, Kadyrov and Steven Seagal proviene da Bubble report.

Russia Archivi - Bubble report