24 FEBRUARY 2024
According to Bloomberg, the dispute over the EU’s failure to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine on time has become evidence of a deeper split between Western and Eastern Europe.
Source: European Pravda, citing Bloomberg’s article based on interviews with European officials on condition of anonymity
Details: European diplomats interviewed by the agency believe that if Russia does win the war in Ukraine, “Western Europe will not be forgiven” and will no longer be trusted, and the entire project of European integration may be at risk.
One of the reasons is the categorical position of several Western European countries on finding sources of artillery shells for Ukraine. France is actively insisting that the relevant investments should remain only within the EU, which has already slowed down the supply of shells.
Additionally, Cyprus and Greece are opposed to purchasing shells from Türkiye for geopolitical reasons. For Eastern European states, this shows that “the West doesn’t seem to get the urgency,” one Bloomberg source said.
One European official said that if Russia were to win, his country would no longer buy weapons from France and would instead develop defence partnerships with the US, the UK and Ukraine because they are more reliable allies.
Eastern European states also have claims against Germany. Although nominally one of the largest donors of military and financial aid to Ukraine, the German government’s position on the supply of long-range Taurus missiles is causing irritation in capitals east of Berlin.
Eastern Europe’s distrust of Western Europe is also evident in the search for a new NATO secretary general. Although most members support the candidacy of Mark Rutte, his lack of communication with Eastern European states has prompted the nomination of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
Background: Support for Ukraine among Europeans remains broad, but almost two years after the full-scale invasion, only 10% believe Ukraine can defeat Russia.
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/02/24/7443565
The split between the West and East has been ongoing since mafia land’s theft of the Crimea and when it started the small war in Donbas. The West has never taken the warning from the East seriously. It always knew better. Its business dealings with mafia land and increased energy dependency were more important than opposing moscow’s aggression.
It seems that the West has not learned so much from its mistakes from the past ten years.
I wonder if the split is much larger and more formidable than you mentioned. In my limited knowledge of history, it seems the east and west share different histories, different values, different cultures and especially a different way of viewing life. Based on everything I keep reading I’m still of the mindset that one of two things need to happen 1. A civil war which will finally unite the EU countries as having different cultures but one focused on the EU, such as what had happened in the US. Doesn’t necessarily need to be a violent uprising, even something such as a concerted “Primal Scream.” Or (2) the EU remains as an economic association with the development of regional defense and security associations. I don’t think the west understands or appreciates the root differences of the east or likewise the east for the west. Seems the EU is attempting something that failed miserably following WW2 and that is forcing countries together, we know what happened with that approach……Bosnia, the Berlin Wall, the Polish uprising and finally the downfall of the USSR. IMO
Europe shares lots of similarities but also lots of differences. The core problem is arrogance, in my humble opinion. During the crucial times leading up to the full-scale invasion, we had Merkel in office in Germany. In all my life, I can’t find another leader more arrogant than her. No warnings from the East about mafia land were ever taken seriously by her. She thought that she had all the answers. In the end, she was wrong in every possible way. France was just as arrogant as Germany, by the way, and those two nations were the ones that led the EU down the wrong path. They were also the main culprits that prevented a NATO membership for Ukraine. We would have no war today if it hadn’t been for that.
“the German government’s position on the supply of long-range Taurus missiles is causing irritation in capitals east of Berlin”
It also causes embarassment among German supporters of Ukraine, including in Scholz’ own party. Nobody can explain the reasoning behind the Chancellor’s stubborn refusal, especially since the UK and France already deliver the very similar Storm Shadow / Scalp cruise missiles. Wtf? 😳
His cowardice is downright mind-boggling, Mr. Gray. A person like him in the position that he has is a very dangerous thing to have in such critical times.
He could give Ukraine the fucking things, then deny everything, just like NK and Iran do, when supplying mafia land.
His imagination can’t go that far.
My impression, too, Mr. Ofp. In defence of German voters, we did elect him (or rather the coalition parties) before the February 2022 invasion. Virtually nobody expected the necessity of making life-or-death decisions during wartime. That’s a totally different ballgame now. ☹
Here’s an example of the nonsense Ukraine has to deal with because of stubbornly selfish EU “partners”:
“France and Greece Block the Purchase of Bayraktar TB2 Drones for the Ukrainian Military”
https://en.defence-ua.com/industries/france_and_greece_block_the_purchase_of_bayraktar_tb2_drones_for_the_ukrainian_military-9606.html
They are morons who are still living in the safe pink bubble of the post-WWII era. They haven’t awakened to the fact that we have entered a new, more dangerous era in 2022.