Упрощенная HTML-версия
Author : Romano Prodi
Prime Minister of Italy (1996-1998 and 2006-2008), President of the European Commission (1999-2004)
I WOULD LIKE to talk here about the future of Europe,
the European Union and Russia.
Today, we should look back at the road the EU has covered
from 6 to 28 member-states which means that more and
more countries found it very attractive.
To tell the truth, in the last 10 to 15 years, Europe has been
gradually sinking into a crisis; populism is gaining momen-
tum in many countries, while common European institutions
are losing their former impact. We are watching what can be
described as the end of sorts of balanced Europe.
During my presidency, there were several leaders in the EU - Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and, to
a certain extent, Spain - that together preserved the balance. Today, the EU was left with Germany as
the only leader: It is the main economic power with institutional continuity. Today, we are living under
the German "umbrella."
I will not go forth about the state of affairs in Russia since you know everything much better than I do.
I can only say that Russia is a great country with great history and a great future.
As for the relations between the EU and Russia, I believe that they complement one another in our
global world.
In Europe, they have no idea about Russia's contribution to world history and world affairs. We cannot
and should not underestimate the risk of demonization of Russia by the West in politics, economics
and sports.
This means that we should work together - Russia should accept the EU at face value and has the right
to expect the same from the EU. Without this no cooperation will be possible while confrontation will
lead nowhere - it will merely weaken both sides.
We should not underestimate the scope of corruption in the government; this opens doors to any in-
fluence and explains why today Ukraine is not a bridge but a battlefield. Today, we are in a dead end
with the de facto frozen conflict. Neither Russia nor Ukraine needs this.
This leads nowhere; the longer the country remains in chaos the harder it will be to disentangle from
it. There is no doubt that complete disarmament in Ukraine and consistent progress toward a settlement
are very important.
We made many mistakes in the past; I tried to be a Galileo in our relationships with Russia, which was
impossible for political reasons. Our relations are of strategic importance for both sides.
Today, more and more people are talking about a resumption of the Cold War. This happened because
we are losing our wisdom. Let us be wise in order to preserve peace, otherwise our future will be in
danger.
Электронное приложение к журналу «
Международная жизнь
»
International Affairs: Summary№4, 2016
To Close Pandora's Box: Russia's Role in Europe