Упрощенная HTML-версия
Author : Alexey Meshkov
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation
All the events in Ukraine are passing through
our hearts and our souls. We would like the
bloodshed to end as soon as possible and our
brotherly Ukrainian people to start living a nor-
mal life.
As for our relations with the European Union,
with our European colleagues, the situation
there varies significantly. Because official state-
ments and publications in the media are one
thing but communication with ordinary Euro-
peans is something different.
Titanic transformations have been ongoing in the world over the past two decades. Every time
someone announces the end of history or somebody's victory, these statements prove to be only
wishful thinking, not reality.
There is always the wish and hope for politicians' wisdom. In any event, this wisdom is present
on the Russian side.
Of course, the European Union is not monolithic. There is a large group of countries that
believe in a search for mutually acceptable solutions in Russian-EU relations. These countries
are very skeptical about the sanctions system as a whole.
A year and a half ago, Ukraine was confronted with the choice: Who are you with - Russia or
the West, and now entire Europe is being confronted with the same choice and urged to metic-
ulously follow the instructions that it is getting. To reiterate, not everybody in Europe likes that.
I am not an economist. Nevertheless, it is quite obvious that this crisis situation gives our agri-
cultural sector an additional stimulus for development. Judging by last year's indicators, it is de-
veloping at quite a good pace.
Going back to the topic that our Western partners like talking about so much - the isolation of
Russia, let us consider BRICS where Russia is the most active participant. It is the world's largest
economy, accounting for half the global population and half the global territory. Even looking
at BRICS, what kind of isolation of Russia can they talk about?
Our Western and European partners, who pay lip service to human rights and civil society in-
terests, on the practical level often take steps that are aimed against free communication and free
movement of people. Of course, visa requirements between Russia and the EU in the 21st cen-
tury are an anachronism. But unfortunately, such are political realities.
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"All the Events in Ukraine Are Passing Through Our Hearts and
Our Souls"