Editorial of the “World”. On the fourth day of the war he triggered against Ukraine, Vladimir Putin already had two exploits on his behalf, Sunday, February 27: he went to NATO his raison d’être and he brought the European Union to turn into an organization capable of providing military aid to a foreign country.
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the Commission, is correct: it is “a decisive moment”, a historical turning point in its defense policy that the EU directed Sunday night to come into assistance to the Ukraine attacked. Under the conduct of the head of the European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, the foreign ministers of the twenty-seven adopted a help of 450 million euros to finance the sending of lethal weapons to the Ukrainian forces to resist the aggression Russian, as well as 50 million for non-military equipment. This assistance, which may include hunting planes, adds to the deliveries of weapons already promised individually by several Member States. Never before the EU had completed this function. “A taboo fell”, commented Mr. Borrell.
In addition to the financial and economic sanctions against Russia already decided in recent days, the Commission has also announced two important measures on Sunday: the prohibition of the Union’s airspace for all Russian aircraft or controlled by Russian companies, and the prohibition of the dissemination of Russian media Rt and Sputnik, in order to block their misinformation campaign.
Brussels has just confirmed the adage that the EU only goes into crises, already proven adage during the CVIV-19 crisis. Pushing against Russia in recent years, paralyzed by the differences in the sensitivity of its Member States to this subject, the Union has so far been unable to carry out a clear and united policy with regard to Vladimir Putin. The sanctions decided after the annexation of Crimea have certainly been unanimously renewed every six months, but they have been because they were ungodly. The enormity of Mr. Putin’s fault has this time provoked the indispensable European starts.
“A new era”
For this starting to be possible, it took the tilting of the states that blocked. Hungary, of course, including the Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has just sacrificed his friendship with President Putin. But especially Germany, which has just fulfilled its own revolution in defense and security. It’s the turning point in the turn. After days of questions and political bubbling caused by the situation in Ukraine, the Government of Olaf Scholz visited: it was no longer possible to stay on the side of the road.
“The invasion of Ukraine brought us into a new era,” said Sunday the Chancellor in front of the Bundestag, announcing that Germany would increase its defense expenses to more than 2% of its GDP – Beyond the minimum set by NATO – and deliver weapons to Ukraine, which it refused to do so far. A little earlier, Berlin had yielded to pressure and suspended the German-Russian Pipeline Authorization North Stream 2.
These spectacular, German and European reversals will have long-term consequences. Faced with the tragedy of the war at his door, Europe is finally giving ways to behave in geopolitical power. To the Member States to consolidate this posture: they will have terribly needed it.