News

30. 6. 201410:54

Arguing about Ukraine – EU vs. Russia

Last seminar organised by the Eurocentre Prague before the summer break was held on 19 June 2014 in European House.

The topic was current situation on Ukraine and controversies that the events happening on Ukraine caused among the European Union and Russia. As speakers attended Vít Beneš from the Institute of International Relations, Michael Romancov, expert in geopolitics, Ondřej Soukup, journalist, and Petra Ježová, former OSCE observer on Ukraine.

Vít Beneš claimed that EU is not a geopolitical player and in fact does not care about Ukraine. On the contrary for Russia is Ukraine traditional sphere of interest. He also reminded the support that Russia received from extreme right wing political parties in various EU member states – French Front National or Jobbik from Hungary.

Michael Romancov emphasized the personal dimension for Vladimir Putin. Whereas domestic protests or Georgian revolt in foreign policy he managed with difficulty, the changes in Ukraine have got out of his control. According to Ondřej Soukup the core of current situation in Ukraine is the effort to change the very nature of the state. Today all the sectors of state administration are paralyzed by corruption and the aim of all changes taking place in these days is to create state that will be functioning in an equal way when compared with other European states.