Eastern Economic Forum, Vladivostok,Russia

When Donald Trump visited Europe in July, he said that the EU is the biggest rival, foe of the USA. When I saw the word ‘foe’ for the first time it had the meaning of ‘fool’ (a useful idiot) in my mind. So the EU is the most significant useful idiot of the USA. “That’s right,” I thought.

The EU is part of the world’s largest continent, Eurasia, with direct access to Russia, Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The USA has done its utmost to drive a wedge between the countries in Eurasia, because if everyone would find a common voice and start cooperating with each other, the US hegemony would end completely.

At present, the EU acts in an inexplicable naïve way in relationship with Russia when it uncritically carries out the demands of the US (and its Jewish lobbyists) for sanctions on Russia. Trump and his partners are first and foremost businessmen. As the EU implements economic sanctions on Russia, the US has free hands to trade with this country that has “violated international rules”. At the same time, EU countries lose hundreds of billions of euros.

I wrote in January 2013 in the article Everything is Perfect about the change in the world’s socio-economic power relations after I saw a lecture of the former World Bank President James Wolfensohn about the topic. He suggests that by 2050, economic power will shift from developed countries to developing countries. 1/6 of the world’s population, which now holds 80% of world’s wealth, will have to settle for 35% in the future.

James Wolfensohn’s visions only concern China, India, Africa, Brazil and other developing countries. He does not speak at all about Russia, although he is mentioning Russia at one point. Perhaps this is due to schizophrenic relationships of the US with Russia. However, I believe that Russia will be an even greater economic power than China in the future. Simply because Russia’s land area is almost double that of China, it has a lot of natural resources and the land is very fertile.

When looking at Eurasia from the east coast of China, old Europe is its remote corner. Construction work in Eurasia (including Russia) has been non-existent and its enormous potential has not been utilized. But I believe this is about to change. The French President Emmanuel Macron said during his visit to Finland that Russia should also become involved in European defense co-operation. In my opinion all Eurasian countries should work together to ensure peaceful coexistence and to avoid violence on the continent. Everyone should be able to build peacefully their society according to citizens’ wishes.

The Finnish president Sauli Niinistö thinks that defense co-operation with Russia is not possible until there is some progress in the situation in Ukraine. Would it not be easier to correct own attitudes and believe Vladimir Putin’s words when he assures that Russia is not behind the Ukrainian war? In my article Quite Another Matter I wrote in September 2014 that I do not think Russia is responsible for the violent coup in Ukraine.

Russia’s interest was certainly not to overthrow the president of Ukraine, who treasured the relations with Russia. Following the coup, Vladimir Putin reacted to the events and tried to save what was possible to save. Everyone would have done the same.

At the same time as the EU tries to convince its member states of the necessity of Russia’s sanctions, the Russian Eastern Economic Forum convenes in Vladivostok between 11-13 September, and the EU has officially no representation there, unlike the United States. The US is developing in silence its economic ties with Russia when its biggest rival has deliberately been lagged behind.

We are being convinced of the importance of EU membership e.g. by emphasizing that we need to be involved in decision-making about ourselves. Opponents of the EU are stigmatized as narrow-minded country pumpkins, who lack the understanding of things in a broader perspective. In my view, the decision-makers of the European Union are acting unbelievably short-sighted and blinkered with regard to Russia. For the future of Europe as a whole, they should at least understand their position and responsibility.

It is not only a question of the European Union, but at its best, the EU can promote development throughout the Eurasian continent. The EU can either play its part as a co-operation body of the nation-states and raise citizens’ well-being to new levels or close its ears on facts, act as a useful idiot, and decline into an Eurasian periphery.

Read also:

Everything is Perfect

Quite Another Matter

Outcomes of the Eastern Economic Forum 2018

Ville Kyrönlahti (vastavalkea.fi): Venäjän idänsuuntaus: katsaus taustoihin ja tilaan ennen Ukrainan kriisiä

Ville Kyrönlahti (vastavalkea.fi): Onko Venäjä haastamassa Yhdysvaltain aseman Koillis-Aasiassa?

Videos:

Vladimir Putin on Ukraine

Vladimir Putin on US hegemony

Putin Decides to Finally Fix the East: Demands Ministers Begin Implementing Economic Projects

What sanctions? Best Moments From Putin, Abe, Macron and Lagarde Meeting At St.Petersburg International Economic Forum-2018

James Wolfensohn (Former World Bank President): Big Shift Coming