PUTIN USES HISTORY TO EXPAND RUSSIA'S INFLUENCE TO EUROPE
An arbitrary interpretation of history is used by Russian President to justify the integration of Ukraine, Moldova and Serbia in the Eurasian Customs Union. The reason why the EU and the U.S. must now answer Moscow by tightening the Trans Atlantic partnership.
Europe is risking its energy, political and economical independence due to the rebuilding of a Russian empire in former Soviet world. On Sunday July 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the celebration of 1025 anniversary of the Christianization of Kievian Rus in Kyiv and Crimea.
The Christianization of Kievian Rus occurred in early 867, when Prince Volodymyr converted to the Christianity. Kievian Rus' conversion to the Christianity made this Central-Eastern European 'state' a part of the Christianized Europe not only from the spiritual, but also from the political, commercial and cultural point of view.
President Putin, together with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Belorussian President Alyaksandar Lukashenka, Moldavian President Nicolae Timofti and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, stressed that the Christianization of Kievian Rus was the start of the common history of the 'orthodox brotherhood' of Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia and Belarus.
Putin's statement is a utilization of history as a mean to consolidate the Eurasian Customs Union: a geopolitical project aimed to the realization of a new edition of the Russian Empire in former soviet world.
The description of the Christianization of Kievian Rus as the start of Russian history is an arbitrary interpretation of history. The Kievian Rus was not the first Russian State, rather represented the origin of Ukraine (Ruthenia), Belarus and Lithuania.
After the fall of Kievian Rus due to 1242 Tatar invasion, the Northern-Western lands of the Kievian Rus were integrated in the Great Duchy of Lithuania, which de facto became a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1385.
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth -a Noble Republic, based on Venice Serenissima's model, where the King was elected by the nobles and all religions were tolerated, in particular the Jewish one- was fully involved in the European history. In 1791, this was the first state in Europe to pass a modern Constitution based on the liberal values of the Enlightenment as Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood, as the USA did some year before.
Instead of Kievian Rus, Russia as a state raised from the Principality of Moscow, which raised its political influence in Eastern Europe in 1480. After a military victory on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1654, the Principality of Moscow annexed the Central-Eastern lands of former Kievian Rus, whose more culturally evolved inhabitants -a fact due to the permanence in the Western-integrated Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth- contributed to growth the political power of Russia's czars and their further expansion in Europe.
President Putin's declarations during the celebration of Christianity of Kievian Rus are a political mean of the Kremlin to try to justify Moscow's "right" to subjugate European Countries as Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Serbia.
History as gas
History is thus used by President Putin as well as energy. Russia planed the realization of Southstream pipeline to carry 63 bcm of Russian gas to Austria through the Black Sea Seabed, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia and Italy.
The realization of Southstream will raise EU dependence on Russian gas supplies and will endanger the situation of Central Eastern Europe, which will be totally subjugated by Moscow from the energy point of view.
By strengthening Central Eastern Europe's energy dependence on Russia, the realization of Southstream, as well as the historical revisionism made by Putin, will also faster the realization of Eurasian Customs Union: a project that endangers the consolidation and the further existence of the EU.
Thanks to the integration of Eastern Europe, in particular of Ukraine, Russia returns to act in the world as an imperialistic power with a full influence on Eastern European countries and a potential expansion of its political power to some core EU States as Poland, Hungary, Serbia and the Baltic States.
The need of the Trans Atlantic Union for the EU and the USA
The EU answer to Putin's historical manipulation must now be immediate and incisive. The EU must sign as soon as possible the EU Association Agreement with Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine, in order not to allow Russia to integrate in Moscow-controlled Eurasian Customs Union some European Countries.
The EU should also strengthen he relationship with the USA and accelerate the realization of the Trans Atlantic Union: a political project that allows both the U.S. and the EU to face the aggressive concurrence in world economy of new world powers as Russia, China, and Brazil.
The Trans Atlantic Union is also a mean to support Liberty, Democracy, HR and market economy: the traditional Western values that, after World War Two, guaranteed in the world peace, freedom and progress.
It is not time for the EU to make polemics with the U.S. due to an unproved spy-story -which was told by a spy who is now asking for a political asylum in Russia.
The EU, in particular Germans and French, to understand that just Trans Atlantic partnership and a fast integration of Eastern Europe both in the EU and NATO can ensure the western world economical and political security.
Matteo Cazzulani
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Matteo Cazzulani
Free lance journalist and energy deals consultant
2013-07-30
