The immigration crisis and the aggravation of relations with Russia has shown that Western leaders put at the head of the foreign policy of certain values, which, in their opinion, should divide their peoples. The author believes Svenska Dagbladet, Stefan Hedlund, this policy not only in Russia caused a devastating effect, but rather strengthened and United the country.
Current migration crisis in Europe emerged, including due to the fact that politicians have taken steps in full confidence that the citizens should be guided by certain values. According to the Professor of Uppsala University, a specialist on Eastern countries, Stefan Hedlund, if there are discrepancies between what a society considers important and what society should be considered as such by politicians, then begin a serious problem.
As I’m sure the author Svenska Dagbladet, in the case of relations between Russia and the West, this danger manifests itself more clearly. Hedlund writes that in 1985, the American diplomat George Kennan warned how dangerous it is to put values at the head of foreign policy. The immigration crisis has shown that even within Europe there are no values in any General form, and they all want to protect their national interests, so this option should be considered and the Ukrainian conflict.
“The fundamental difference between the conflict of values and conflict of interest is that conflicts of interest are resolved in the negotiations. But the conflict of values is, by definition, implies that one side is right and the second wrong,” writes the Swedish expert.
In the case of Ukraine, continues Stefan Hedlund, Russia always held the opinion that we are talking about conflict of interests, so you need to meet and talk, and the West, by contrast, regarded the whole performance as value conflict, to interfere in which Russia has no right. Ukraine is led to war and devastation, and Russia had imposed sanctions, which Western leaders “the way I feel about my own moral superiority.” However, in the end, the Kremlin has not made concessions, and sanctions, the author suggests, will cancel the already with next year.
In the Swedish media experts expressed the opinion that Russia’s behavior was for the country to devastating effect. Stefan Hedlund considers this position is incorrect because the past decade had not been for Russia a series of failures.
“The war in Georgia stopped NATO expansion. I am quite sure that the war in Ukraine will lead it to crash, and Russia will regain a leading role. The invasion of Syria saved Assad, and the Americans were forced to negotiate. And sanctions have strengthened the regime, add fuel to the fire of conspiracy theories about how the West wants to break Russia. In General, it is hard to believe that Putin and his people now see anything but success. So here’s my final question: what made the West, with the exception of smug moral superiority?”, the author concludes Svenska Dagbladet.
Stefan Hedlund
Original news Inotv:
https://russian.rt.com/inotv/2016-07-14/SD-Sankcii-ukrepili-Rossiyu-a
Author Stefan Hedlund
