It is common knowledge that Russia, which fruitfully cooperates with NATO, badly reacts to and opposes any rapprochement between Ukraine and the Alliance. But it is a novelty that Russia will be in the European Union sooner than Ukraine. This statement was made by Russia’s ex-minister of finance, Aleksei Kudrin, at the Ukrainian lunch in Davos. “The Russian was trying to convince the audience that it was necessary to join the structures around Russia. One of his arguments was that Russia will be in the European Union sooner than Ukraine,” UDAR’s press service quotes MP Oksana Prodan, who was present at the forum, as saying.
Naturally, this looks like a joke at first glance. In general, when it comes to Ukraine-Russia relations, the Russians often like to joke, emphasizing its stereotyped role of a “big brother.” In this case, it is about the relations between Ukraine and Russia, rather than between Russia and the EU or Ukraine and the EU. Indeed, how can one imagine, from the viewpoint of geography, the entry of Russia into the European Union? This is unrealistic. Besides, would Russia form all kinds of unions (Customs, Eurasian) around itself, only to join the EU after this?
But, as is known, there is a share of the truth in every joke. Kudrin’s statement is exclusively aimed at the Ukrainians. So the Ukrainian side is supposed to give an adequate answer. For the Russians have long been doing everything, steadily and purposefully, to thwart Ukraine’s aspirations to integrate into Europe. There are examples galore. It is no secret that Putin personally tried to ensure that Ukraine was denied the NATO membership action plan at the 2008 Bucharest summit. And how many efforts were made during the Orange Revolution?
It is a different question what Ukraine is doing to counter the Russian actions. What is this country doing to speed up the march towards the integrated Europe?
