Making enemies of those close

Whatsapp
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Telegram

By LUIZ CARLOS BRESSER-PEREIRA*

From a political point of view, was Russia's decision to go to war right?

This tragic war began because Russia decided not to support NATO's permanent expansion to its borders any longer. The United States was provoking Russia, and finally the war came – another inhumane war as all wars are. The United States and the European Union broke all their agreements with Russia from the time of Gorbachev to carry out this expansion. They knew they were threatening Russia's national security, but that was America's goal; was it also that of the European Union?

In an article about the war, Boaventura de Sousa Santos harshly criticized the European position, which is closed with that of the United States.[1] A demonstration of Western unity? Yes, from the imperialist West that dominates the Middle East and abhors Russian intervention in the region. That bombs Kosovo and kills civilians in the name of defending human rights. Who participated in the Iraq war, but in this case, Alas!, without the support of France.

There is no moral justification for war. Putin has confirmed himself to be a cold and authoritarian ruler. From a political point of view, was Russia's decision to go to war right? Did the Russians foresee that the United States would immediately enter the conflict through heavy economic sanctions that are nothing more than a form of war? Ukraine's resistance was greater than the Russians expected. The most likely thing is that Russia and Ukraine will enter into an agreement in which both sides will claim to have met their demands, but it will only be possible to speak of victory for Russia if Ukraine agrees to remain outside NATO and, therefore, also the European Union. .

For Mario Sergio Conti (Folha de S. Paul with this war, countries are showing that their priority is national interests. The West has since the XNUMXth century developed a whole set of generous political goals such as individual freedom, social justice and the protection of nature and laid the foundations of an ideal political regime – democracy – but what we see once again now is the nation's priority over justice and liberty.

The world has lived in the last 40 years a period that was called globalization. It had a technological basis – the great development of transport and communications – but at no time was the ideology of globalization – that we would now live in a world without borders – been true. With the end of the Cold War, what happened was the United States' attempt to become the only world power.

Meanwhile, Yeltsin's Russia, subordinated to the United States, experienced the greatest economic and human crisis that I know of. In 1992 the number of suicides and infectious diseases skyrocketed and remained at the new level for many years. In 2000, when Vladimir Putin was elected, he pursued an independent policy but sought Russia's admission to NATO. Before long, however, the United States obeyed an old rule of capitalism - enemies are always necessary; are those who are not open to your market. Now the enemy is no longer communism, but Russia and China.

Ukraine is a nation very close to Russia in terms of history and culture. The great music of Russia is also the great music of Ukraine. Its great musicians studied at the Moscow Conservatory. Ukraine has the right to be an independent nation, but it makes no sense to be an enemy of Russia. The West's policy of attracting Ukraine and creating this enmity was criminal. According to recent news, President Wolodymir Zelensky, in a meeting with three representatives of the United Kingdom, finally abandoned his irresponsible radicalism and admitted that Ukraine will not join NATO. If this is confirmed, the war will end.

* Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira He is Professor Emeritus at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV-SP). Author, among other books, of In search of lost development: a new-developmentalist project for Brazil (FGV).

Note

[1] Cf. “Towards a self-criticism of Europe”, in the earth is round.

 

See all articles by

10 MOST READ IN THE LAST 7 DAYS

See all articles by

SEARCH

Search

TOPICS

NEW PUBLICATIONS