Author: Roberts77

In the midst of increasing political and economic pressure on Russia due to its aggressive expansionist policy the position of some European states, the leaders of which declare unequivocally their dissent from such Brussels’s policy, seems to be quite strange.

Hungary takes active part in lobbying lifting sanctions against Russia, which not only maintains top-level close ties with Russia, but also works for extending cooperation. Specific relationships between Budapest and Moscow are proven by the fact that Hungary became the only European state visited by Putin twice for the last half-a-year.

Frankly pro-Russian position of the Hungarian authorities has quite prosaic reasoning. Hungary depends heavily on supply of Russian energy products. In addition, Moscow peps up quite effectively (through financial means) the interest of Hungary in maintaining close friendly relations. Kremlin’s decision to provide Budapest with credit in the amount of 12 billion euro for construction of the Paks II Nuclear Power Plant serves as the striking example. The amount is quite impressive, isn’t it? The start of the construction with direct involvement of Russian companies is scheduled for January 2018. This scale project will afford Russia not only tie the operation of Hungary nuclear power plant to them and create additional workplaces for their citizens, but also market the technologies in the field of nuclear energy at European level. Obviously, in consideration of the economic support, Kremlin reckons on the Budapest’s loyalty in the issues of foreign policy and lobbying of Russia’s interests on the international scene, particularly in the issue of lifting sanctions.

Moscow not only buys Budapest for credits, but also efficiently uses historical claims of Hungary and growing revanchist spirits inside the state. Current Hungarian authorities have repeatedly declared their intention to turn the lands inhabited by ethnic Hungarians to the “parent body”. This fact unites Hungary and Russia.

Budapest does not transmit such ideas internationally, though they keep stirring up the idea of “Great Hungary” within the state attempting to attract the voters. Similarly to Moscow, in pursuing their aims they stake on strengthening the ties between Hungarians living abroad and their historical Motherland. Certainly, there’s nothing wrong that Hungarian authorities supports in every possible way and provide funds for public organisations, educational projects, infrastructure and medicine development, etc. at the areas of their compact settlement abroad. At the same time the fact that Hungary actively uses the ethnic factor not only for inviting workforce to the state, but also as one of the Budapest’s impact tools on bordering states competes attention. In this context the dual citizenship policy promoted by Hungarian authorities (it happens sometimes that issue of Hungarian passports rises to 100 thousand per month) cannot but cause concern of the authorities of neighboring states. Setting the pension registration mechanism for those citizens living abroad, Budapest gave an impetus to this process which resulted in aggressive growth of the number of ethnic Hungarians who have dual citizenship in Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and Serbia.

All this happens amidst the growth of extreme right, pro-Russian and Euro-skeptic spirits as well as the government’s support of nationalistic Hungarian organisations abroad. Hungarian nationalists are the primary driving force for the implementation of the idea of “Great Hungary”. Particularly, they are actively committed to granting Hungarians the autonomy within the areas of their compact settlement in Ukrainian Zakarpattia, Székelyföld in Romanian Transylvania, Danube regions of Slovakia, Vojvodina in Serbia. Hungarian imperial ambitions stirring up by Kremlin, as well as growing autonomist aspirations among the Hungarian minority aggravate the outlined negative trends in the EU (British Brexit, reinforcement of the Rights in France and recent Catalonian demarche).

With due account for these conditions, as well as for Kremlin’s involvement into the destructive actions focused on disruption of the EU and NATO unity, the friendship between Budapest and Moscow does not seem to be so harmless.

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Having captured Ukrainian Crimea, Russia accomplished its century dream – to gain control over sea channels and, in fact, full control over Black Sea. The most powerful fleet among Black Sea countries – the Turkish one – lost its weight at once. Killing zone of missiles launched from Crimean ground fully “seals” the channels, turning Black Sea into Russian internal lake. Only one move left for Russia to gain full domination on the occupied territory – homeland for Muslims and Crimean Tatars – to subdue native people, to break their faith, to trample their honor and dignity.

Moscow always persecuted our brothers in faith in Chechnya, now it does the same in Crimea and Syria, where it tears apart Turkmen Muslims. Putin is a pro in flagellating whole nations as criminals. Once he already spinned this method on Chechens: if you are Chechen – you are criminal. Now, after peninsula annexation, Putin took on Crimean Tatars, who denied him love and loyalty. He left-handedly uses nice words as “depoliticization of Crimean Tatar People” to conceal his doings. He does it step-by-step. First, all efforts was directed towards termination of national leaders in Quriltai-Mejlis system. As all attempts to force Mustapha Dzhemilev and Mejlis Head Refat Chubarov to switch sides failed, they simply were denied to enter Crimea. Being unable to crush in prison the will of Mejlis Head deputies Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chyigoz, occupants freed them under pressure of international community and thanks to personal efforts of Turkish president, and also exiled them from Crimea.

Of course, Kremlin would like all Tatars to leave. However, they did not. Then aggressors started the next phase – to oust all who do not fall within “depoliticized” term. Those are clerisy, public and religious figures, lawyers, human rights defenders, journalists. To turn the trick they use both devious methods – they close schools and classes with Crimean Tatar language of study, liquidate Crimean Tatar linguistic faculty in Simferopol University, put pressure on Crimean Tatar channel on Crimean TV – and rude ones – bullying, beating, repressions, prosecution under false charges, pressure on relatives. It has to be said that occupation authorities and their local proxies succeeded in this. Now they want to finally frighten those, who remained. That is the third phase of so-called “depoliticization”.

Namely, very dangerous phenomenon can be observed on this phase: after politics (prohibition of Mejlis), the whip is used on religion. All Muslims of Crimea, the majority of who are Tatars, undergo repressions, which already became of mass character. The occupants do not even bother to look for evidences – one religious book from “forbidden list” is enough to become “extremist” and to be imprisoned. If political processes in Crimea are used to give a fright, then prosecution for faith – is a far more serious thing. All in all, political preferences can be different. However, when the issue is about ethnicity or faith – it is a low blow, because now any Muslim or Crimean Tatar can be named “extremist” or “terrorist”.

Crimean Tatars could not leave these actions by Russian authorities without response. On October 14, more than 100 people went to the roadsides to protest against police abuse and groundless accusations of Crimean Muslims in terrorism and extremism. “We are not terrorists! Our children are not terrorists!” – read the signs held by young and old people, who are tired to live in constant fear and waiting for Kremlin’s powerbrokers. According to Russian legislation, one-man protest is not forbidden. However, this did not stop “police” and gray men from arresting several dozens of people.

Very emotional, but absolutely just and clearly reflecting the situation in Crimea was the address to Russian president by mother of arrested Abdullaiyev brothers – Diyara Abdullaiyeva: “Stop this violation, humiliation of our people. What are you getting at? Everybody knows – there are no terrorists in Crimea, no such organizations. All organizations are fake, criminal cases and sentences are cooked up. If it is not 1937, our vision is that Crimean Tatars, Muslims are simply put away in such a manner. They can be accused, they can be eliminated, if you are Muslim – you are terrorist. Closed court hearings violate the principles of publicity. It means that they are afraid of truth. We demand to stop persecution of Muslims, to stop repressions of Crimean Tatars, to free Muslims from jails”. Hardly anything could be added to these words.

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