The World in English
35
Mehmet Metehan ÇİFTÇİ
n French, there is a common expression to describe the power of the EU in two substantial fields: "Un géant
économique, un nain politique", which
can be translated as "economic giant, political dwarf". Probably, this was what the French people said about the EU involvement in Ukrainian crisis.
The augmenting need for the cheap and accessible energy is one of the critical problems of our age. In this case, Russia, the largest exporter of oil and natural gas to the European Union, is an indispensable partner for the continent. Besides, almost in every important economic or non-economic conflict between the two powers, the energy supremacy of Russia appears as a trump against the EU with its crucial impacts. As a result, this dependency is frequently questioned by the actors of the region and Ukraine, as a vital ally situated on an alternative energy corridor, could be a solution for this impasse of the Europeans.
Yet, despite the downfall of the government who wasn't really enthusiastic for the integration of Ukraine to the EU, the Russian interventions in the region has shown the world that -even- the -indirect- activities of the European powers had still limits when they intersect with the interests of other world powers. It wasn't easy to estimate but Russia did go that far to let the division of the country, which has closed the strategic southern and eastern frontiers to any energy Plan-B.
In the west, Americans with their strategic military power; north, the British Empire with its intelligent diplomacy and Russians in the east with their radical moves. Lesson learnt;when it's policy-making, the EU, in the center, must always consider the furthest points that all these powers could go.
What have we learnt from the Russian aggression on Ukraine? Strengths and weaknesses of the European Union
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