How Today’s Profit Changes Priorities of Societies

The current system of global geopolitical coordinates is still dominated by the argument of force, pragmatism and subjective desire to obtain financial gain

 

Serhiy Polyovyk

Some of the latest events in Europe and in the world in one way or another have affected Ukraine. For example, Denmark did grant Russia permission to lay the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline through its territorial waters. In other words, the Russians have overcome the obstacle to realizing their intention to build a gas pipeline to Europe bypassing Ukraine and traditional routs of transporting gas to European consumers.

Resistance of European countries to the North Stream 2 construction lasted for several years and was mainly due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. These were international economic sanctions against Russia and European companies affiliated with it under the aforementioned project. One of the decisive deterrents was the warning about possible chemical pollution from construction on the Baltic and North Sea offshore shelves. By the way, the European media have been silent about the circumstances of Russia’s construction of the Nord Stream 2 and the threat of possible chemical pollution of sea waters of European countries.

Risk zones where chemical munitions could be found in the Baltic Sea

At the same time, Ukrainian analysts point out that US President D. Trump’s attitude to Ukraine has deteriorated, in particular following a scandal over his demand for a newly elected Ukrainian President to investigate J. Biden. They also stress that D. Trump’s possible impeachment has begun to affect the real politics of the White House, as well as the fact that the United States of America has almost suddenly ceased to press on Russia’s allies regarding the construction of the North Stream 2.

…In the wake of the six-year war and the lack of real prospects for its completion, the European community preferred its own well-being and the short-term profit from cheap Russian gas…

For some time the USA had been threatening to impose additional sanctions on states and construction companies cooperating with Russia in the project or intending to sea supply large quantities of liquefied gas from the American continent to Europe. And this had significantly been deterring Gazprom’s European partners. But it happened that after the well-known scandal with US Congressional investigations against D. Trump, liquefied gas from the United States is no longer listed as an alternative to Russian gas in Europe. So the set of factors surrounding Russia’s plans and intentions to build a pipeline unprofitable for Ukraine’s economy had somewhat been “stifling” Moscow’s intentions. But, as we can see, only for some time. The so-called pragmatism and economic selfishness of the European countries led by their leaders Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, other EU heads of state, who fell under Moscow’s economic influence, soon played their role. That is, financial interests and intentions to earn a surplus, actively stimulated by Moscow, have overcome European solidarity in restraining Russia in the war against Ukraine and Russia’s destroying all the rules of international law and international security system. In the wake of the six-year war and the lack of real prospects for its completion, the European community preferred its own well-being and the short-term profit from cheap Russian gas. No one is even trying to comprehend the threats posed by Russia’s actions both to their countries and to the peaceful coexistence in Europe and in the world.

Thus, in the current system of global geopolitical coordinates, the argument of force and pragmatism continues to dominate, and the subjective desire for financial gain prevails. The world leaders of the main countries — subjects of modern geopolitics — do not pay attention to the need to care about common values and about preserving the environment, ensuring collective security.

The role of Ukraine, like of other countries of Europe, which do not shape the current world economic and geopolitical trends, is rather modest. It can only watch the development of the situation, looking forward to more influential and mighty actors to resolve the urgent problems. At this, leading European countries no longer consider the collective security system as their priority.

The article is available in Ukrainian

 

 

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