During his visit to Sweden, on September 3, 2018. French President Emmanuel Macron told the Swedish public broadcaster SVT that Russian President Vladimir Putin's dreams to dismantle the EU. In the interview, Macron declared: "I respect Vladimir Putin and I am one of those who believe that we need to create new approaches to security with Russia, we need discussions with Russia, but Putin's dream is to dismantle the EU."[1]
It is worth noting that only few days earlier, on August 27, 2018, in his speech at the Ambassadors' Conference 2018, Macron declared that the EU needs to ensure its own security, without relying on the Unites States, adding that it was necessary to rethink European security and EU relations with Russia as part of the new security approach.[2]
Russian analyst Pyotr Akopov wrote in Vz.ru an article, titled "Does Russia Need To Break Up The EU?", arguing that no "sane geo-politician" would condemn Russia if it wanted to weaken the EU or even to break it up. Not only is the European Union our neighbor, but it is also a competitor, and for the last four years it has been our direct opponent. The EU imposed sanctions against Russia… The EU is trying to pull off the Euro-integration and Atlanticization of Ukraine, Moldova, Transcaucasia - that is to say, it directly claims a part of the Russian world and the post-Soviet space. In other words, it openly violates our national interests," Akopov opined.
However, according to Akopov, Russia is not the party threatening European unity rather it is US President Donald Trump, who is trying to break up the EU. "For some reason, [Macron] keeps talking of Putin's dreams, attributing to him not only Trump's dreams, but also words, and, most importantly, Trump's deeds," wrote Akopov.
Below are excerpts from Akopov's article:[3]
Pyotr Akapov (Image: Antimaidan.ru)
(Source: Kremlin.ru)
No Sane Geo-Politician Would Condemn Russia If It Wanted To Weaken Or Break Up The EU
"The French President has stated that Vladimir Putin dreams to break up the European Union. This pronouncement sounds strange, and not only because just a few days ago Emmanuel Macron urged the EU to work in concert with Russia. In reality, it is not in Moscow that they dream of the EU's breakup, and Macron ought to pay attention to a different politician.
"'I respect Vladimir Putin, and I am one who believes that we must create new approaches to security with Russia, we need discussions with Russia. Putin's dream, however, is to dismantle the EU.'
"Emmanuel Macron said this in an interview with the Swedish TV channel SVT. It is noteworthy that the French president made this statement just a few days after the speech, in which he called for rethinking the relations between Europe and Russia in order to build a new common architecture of European security. And now he rebukes Russia asserting that it seeks the breakup of the European Union.
"Is this rebuke justified? Does Russia really want to destroy the EU? And does Putin need that?
"Of course, not only is the European Union our neighbor, but it is also a competitor, and for the last four years it has been our direct opponent. The EU imposed sanctions against Russia. It did so under pressure from the US, and the Atlanticists, while ardently stipulating that it intends to maintain normal relations with us, but nonetheless it did. The EU is trying to pull off the Euro-integration and Atlanticization of Ukraine, Moldova, Transcaucasia - that is to say, it directly claims a part of the Russian world and the post-Soviet space. In other words, it flagrantly violates our national interests.
"In this situation, no sane geo-politician would condemn Russia if, in response, it did indeed set itself the EU's weakening or even disintegration as a goal. À la guerre comme à la guerre, it doesn't matter whether the war in question is geopolitical or real.
"However, Russia has never stated that it seeks to break up the EU or even to weaken it.
"And this is not geopolitical deceit (where we say one thing and do something else). Russia is certainly not thrilled with the emergence of a unified Europe on its borders because we remember how this unification ended up twice, in the 19th and 20th centuries - with invasions of Russia. Sure, there is no Napoleon or Hitler today, but still better safe than sorry. Nonetheless, we do not set ourselves the goal to bring about the breakup of the EU, because we understand the objective nature of the processes that led to its creation. However, there are two factors pertaining to the EU that are unacceptable to us, and it is these factors that we oppose and resist.
"First, we object to the endless expansion of Europe's influence to the East at the expense of the post-Soviet space. Both because we consider these regions to be a zone of our vital interests, and because this expansion is just a cover for a different process - the enlargement of NATO, that is to say, an active Atlanticization of everything and everyone, from Ukraine to Georgia. This is categorically unacceptable to Russia, and the EU understands that perfectly well. Not that it is about to change anything, however.
"The reason is, and this is the second factor that doesn't suit us, that the EU is not geopolitically independent. It does not even remain a junior partner, but in many respects is but a mere satellite of the United States and the Anglo-Saxons. The fact that the EU often acts as a puppet for the Atlanticists, a supranational globalist elite, is categorically opposed by Russia.
"The reason is that Russia is a matter of irritation for the Atlanticists. We are thwarting their globalization plans by the very fact of our existence. The Atlanticists do not need Russia, whether it is imperial or Soviet or Eurasian. They do not need any Russia at all. How can we view the fact that the EU is turning into a tool of our outspoken geopolitical opponents? Negatively, for sure.
"That is why Russia is not opposed to the existence of the EU. We just want it to become really independent. Is the EU ready for independence? Judging by the recent pronouncements by the French and German leaders, this is indeed so. "We must take our security into our own hands, we can no longer rely only on the U.S." – all these words have already been spoken by both Merkel and Macron.
"The sovereign EU and Russia can come to an agreement about almost everything, including general security, even from Lisbon to Vladivostok.
It Is An Open Secret That It Is Not Putin, But Rather Donald Trump Who Plays Against The EU
"In reality, though, the EU's path to independence faces two so far insurmountable obstacles, the reluctance of the Atlantic elites to give up control of the EU as part and parcel of a unified West and the fear of Russia felt by European politicians. If not for the latter, it would have been much easier for Paris and Berlin to withstand the former, but, alas, the desire to gain independence is much weaker than the understanding of Russia.
"Russia does not threaten Europe or European unity, and the understanding of this notion is an absolutely necessary condition for the success of European integration. If the EU remains semi-sovereign and keeps participating in anti-Russian games and schemes, it will sooner or later split up. Not because Russia will undermine it, but simply because it will never become a union of self-respecting European nations under the German-Franco leadership.
"But why did Macron bring up this subject now? Is he perhaps trying to compensate for the speech he gave a week ago where he called for new relations with Russia, and now speaks of the 'Putin's dream' in order to prevent accusations of being blind to the Russian threat and forgetting about Atlantic solidarity?
"No, the reason is different, Macron really fears the breakup of the EU. This threat is indeed quite real, and not only because of Brexit or the Eurosceptic government in Italy. No, the EU does in fact have a powerful external enemy, who is the president of a major power. His name, however, is Trump, not Putin.
"It is an open secret that Donald Trump is playing against the EU. Of course, in his public speeches, he does not let slip anything of the sort. But in his actual policies and even conversations with European leaders, Trump does not hide his intention: he seeks to weaken the EU, if not destroy it altogether. And the reason is that he sees it as a direct competitor to America - not [today's] America that geopolitically controls Europe being a part of the Atlantic West, but rather America that Trump would like to see - an independent national state (and not part of the globalist project of building a single "world empire").
"Trump supported Brexit and even suggested this summer that Theresa May should not negotiate with the EU, but simply take it to court. Trump offered the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte assistance in financing the national debt, because the European Union will soon stop its assistance that was helping the country cope with its huge indebtedness. It is not so difficult to guess what Trump wants to get in exchange from the Eurosceptic government - to put more pressure on Brussels in order to weaken the EU's power.
"'Why won't you leave the EU?' - Perhaps Trump suggested that to Conte, although we don't know for sure. But that is exactly what he told Macron in April when he hosted the French president in the White House. In return, Trump offered France new trade relations on more favorable terms. The way Macron chose to deny this information (as leaked to the press at the end of June) has only served to increase suspicions of its authenticity:
"'Confidential conversations will remain confidential, that goes without saying. That is why I have no comment on this. I just know that commitments that I made for Europe more than a year ago are sufficient for you to imagine my answer in case I were to get asked this question.'
"In other words, Macron refused to leave the EU, although Trump did not count on that. He simply does everything he can to undermine and weaken the European Union, and Macron knows this very well. But for some reason he keeps talking of Putin's dreams, attributing to him not only the dreams, but also the words, and, most importantly the deeds of Trump."
[1] Sputniknews.com, September 3, 2018.
[2] Seea MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 7659, "Russia In The World – Russia-France Relations – Sputniknews: Good Bye, Trump? Macron Looks At Russia As A Possible Ally", September 6, 2018.
[3] Vz.ru, September 3, 2018.
