Virtual G20 summit, devoted to the fight against coronavirus pandemic, has once again confirmed that Russia is using current situation to achieve its goals.
At the summit of the leaders of the Group of Twenty Putin talked again about the necessity to lift international sanctions. Although, this question was not related to the issue at all.
There is no relation between sanctions, Russian sanctions in particular, and completely different topic of the summit. Besides, there is a simple and obvious way for Russia to get rid of sanctions — just to withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine and Crimea, to restore bilateral control over the border. Implementation of these quite logic requirements will not only help Russia to combat the epidemic, but also will allow to free up its energies and funds.
For all countries coronavirus pandemic has become a common woe, and it is absolutely clear that in order to establish effective interaction on the international level and bring the situation under control the only will is needed.
In his turn, Putin is using pandemic to get rid of sanctions that cause big problems for Russian economy. For this purpose, he initiated an address to the UN Secretary-General from the leaders of eight countries (Russia, China, Iran, Cuba, Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela, DPR Korea), calling for total lifting of sanctions, that allegedly preclude these countries from pandemic combating.
Russian leader plays charity while sending to Italy a military convoy with humanitarian aid “from Russia with love”. Russian and foreign media that are under Kremlin’s control (“Russia Today” and “Sputnik”) produce emotive coverages on Russia lending Italy a helping hand in its hour of need, while partners from the European Union are dismayed and indifferent.
De facto, instead of such an important personal protective equipment and lung ventilators, “humanitarian” convoy delivered medical diagnostic tools and disinfection equipment that do not solve problems of the virus spread and catastrophic mortality for pneumonia. Moreover, “the aid” was delivered under the convoy of a group of military virologists, who arrived in the country under the pretext of humanitarian mission in order to investigate the situation and experience of Italian doctors in combating dangerous virus. However, a deal is done! Russia was already represented as the best friend of Italy and its benefactor.
And now there are some in Italy who claim that sanctions should be lifted immediately. Alexandro Maria Tirelli, a head of the Criminal Chambers of European and International Law (Camere Penali del Diritto Europeo e Internazionale), that called Russia for help, has already claimed that in the face of COVID-19 pandemic worsening of relations with Russia because of sanctions will be extremely perceptible. As well he states that, regardless the position of the European Union, it is up to the country to determine its international policy and trading partners.
With a help of such PR-campaigns Russia not only cleans up its image, but also deepens anti-European sentiments in Italy and other countries, splits the European unity.
To push thesis about total sanctions’ lifting the Kremlin relies on the voices of its agents of influence in political power of the EU countries. To achieve it Russia uses considerable financial and political resources. In Italy they are Five Star Movement (Movimento 5 Stelle) and far-right Northern League (Lega Nord) ruled from Russia. In Germany — far-right populist opposition party Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, AfD), and post-communist The Left (Die Linke), and pro-Russian voices inside other authoritative political parties as well, even such as Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands).
Indeed, German friends of Putin are also involved. With the beginning of epidemic in Europe the calls for the necessity of lifting of sanctions against Russia resumed at once. For example, Markus Frohnmaier, a member of Alternative for Germany, publicly advocated for sanctions’ lifting and approval of Crimea annexation by Russia. A member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Bundestag Anton Friesen — a Russian by birth and a member of Alternative for Germany — calls to put an end to sanctions against Russia in order to support German economy during coronavirus epidemic. Earlier the same suggestion was made by a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Bundestag — by Waldemar Herdt, from AfD. The point is typical for the representative of faction The Left in Bundestag — Alexander Neu. To lift sanctions against Russia and strengthen international cooperation for effective fight against coronavirus — Klaus Ernst has called for, a member of Bundestag and The Left party member, the head of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy. Member of Bundestag from AfD Ulrich Oehme has confidence that sanctions against Russia will be eventually lifted. The same Oehme who was present as an observer on illegal elections of the president of Russia held in Crimea (in his opinion, the elections were exemplary), and who, on December 2019, met with the representatives of so-called Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republic in Minsk.
There is no doubt that such meetings, interviews and statements of odious European politics about non-effectiveness of anti-Russian sanctions and the necessity of them to be lifted as soon as possible, about the fact of Crimea annexation that should be forgotten in order to restore diplomatic relations with Russia, are sponsored by the Kremlin, and the rhetoric is produced by pro-Kremlin media resources.
The pandemic has demonstrated once again — Russia uses any opportunity to gain sanctions’ lifting.
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