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EU To Stay Hardline On Russia? |
By
Stephen Lendman |
| Candidate Trump signaled normalizing US relations with Russia if elected
president. On Monday, he and Putin discussed bilateral relations after he
takes office in January. Both leaders agreed to continue telephone contacts, a possible summit to follow some time next year. If productive toward reducing tensions and normalizing ties, it would be historic. It would match the important December 1989 Malta GHW Bush/Gorbachev summit, weeks after the Berlin Wall fell, promising no NATO eastern expansion toward Russia’s borders. The Bill and Hillary Clinton co-presidency, GW Bush and Obama systematically breached terms agreed on, leading to today’s tensions, risking nuclear war if Hillary triumphed on November 8 instead of Trump. Despite enormous bipartisan and scoundrel media pressure against US/Russia mutual cooperation, urging continued adversarial relations, will Trump pursue normalized ties anyway in the interest of world peace and stability? If he appoints Rudy Guiliani his secretary of state, will it indicate the former New York mayor favors normalization? Will Trump not heed EU officials, urging continuation of hardline policies toward Russia? According to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, “the European Union has a very principled position on the illegal annexation of Crimea and the situation in Ukraine. This is not going to change, regardless of possible shifts in others’ policies.” “I see the need for the Europeans to strengthen their defense and security agenda and cooperation, regardless of the changes in the administration in the United States.” “There is a strong principled position especially on Ukraine and on the other conflicts that we have to our east, and our attention to our eastern partners is going to stay and stay strong.” EU foreign ministers agreed to wait to see how Trump’s foreign policies unfold. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg lied, claiming large alliance combat troop deployments near Russia’s borders aren’t provocative - “for deterrence, not aggression” he said, despite no Moscow threat. Will Trump prioritize world peace and security over continued US imperial lawlessness - or will dirty business as usual define his administration like under the Clintons, GW Bush and Obama? Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |
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