The EU's Tactics Over Ukraine Are Fatally Flawed

The EU's Tactics Over Ukraine Are Fatally Flawed

Whatever your position on the Ukraine crisis, it has exposed the utter impotence of the EU and the fatal flaw behind the concept of the European super-state.

The sanctions that EU leaders have threatened to impose – when they can get around to it – are feeble and look set to impact on Britain more heavily than any of our EU “partners”. Given ample warning, Putin’s cronies have already been able to move their money elsewhere, while Russia has now threatened British interests such as BP and Shell, hoping it can continue to export its gas while buying French weapons and German cars in return.

The EU is powerless to react and this is evident around the globe, with Republican Senator John McCain calling the EU’s efforts a “joke”. When it comes to foreign policy, a rapid response is essential, but divisions and self-interest among the 28 EU Member States paralyse any initiative.

As Stephen Glover said in the Daily Mail this week, a fatal combination of vanity, hubris and naivety has characterised EU policy towards Ukraine. The EU has recklessly attempted to lure Ukraine out of the Russian sphere of influence, revealing itself as being feeble and divided.

In this geopolitical intrigue, divided “Europe” has proven itself to be no match for Putin’s chess game. As so often, he appears to be ten steps ahead of everybody else.

The Ukraine crisis is a perfect demonstration of how the differing interests of so many countries simply cannot be resolved and papered over, despite the best efforts of EU zealots to “harmonise” Europe.

EU kingpin Germany will not risk Putin’s ire because of her dependence on Russian gas. Britain and France are at each other’s throats, with Britain condemning France for selling military hardware to Russia and the French accusing us of hypocrisy over London’s welcome mat to Russian oligarchs and their money. Many East European Member States like Romania, facing the prospect of having their gas cut off, are horrified at proposals to provoke Putin with sanctions. 

Meanwhile David Cameron and Boris Johnson argue over who is the better tennis player to bat a ball about with Putin crony Vladimir Chernukhin’s wife Lubov, following her huge donation to the Conservative Party’s coffers.

The concept of a European state is not just a fabrication, but a deception of the highest order. Not only is there no European demos, no sense of European nationhood or collective citizenship, but competing national interests cannot simply be erased.

We have already witnessed this during the negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (US-EU trade agreement), with France insisting on protecting its niche film and music industry against the less cultured, but far more popular, American products. 

The EU would not qualify as a democratic state, even by the loosest definition. If it were a country it would be denied admission to its own club. It has widened the chasm between ruler and the governed. No wonder the voters are so apathetic. European democracy today is little more than a farce and the UK electorate can sense the impotence of Westminster, the sad result of giving powers away to Brussels again and again.

This leaves our government unable to respond to the demands of the Great British Public. We cannot push through reforms which are needed if they contradict EU law. Democracy in Britain is in near paralysis, which can only be restored to health when we are allowed the referendum to Get Britain Out.

Alan Murad, Get Britain Out

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