24/03/2021 11:20
EU’s politics towards Russia to lead to severance of diplomatic ties, experts warn
The EU’s line towards escalation of relations with Russia may result in severance of diplomatic ties, says Valdai discussion club foundation board chairman Andrei Bystritsky, adding that Brussels deliberately corners the situation.
"I believe that this situation can lead [to the severance of diplomatic ties]. It does not have to, but it can. This is a situation, when we have a ‘the worse the better’ game," the expert said. "To a certain extent, [EU High Representative Josep] Borrell has been carrying out this line systematically since February. Maybe, irrationally, he wants to bring the situation to its lowest extreme, so that he could kick off it."
These intentions may not come to fruition, however, because the EU has no unity, especially amid the pandemic-related crisis. Besides, the situation in the world began to escalate abruptly on several directions at the same time.
"It is the US-China, the US-Russia, the US-Latin America; besides, everything inside the EU crumbles along the fault lines. And the Europeans try to react to all this," Bystritsky explained.
He noted that the situation in relations between Russia and the EU is "softer" than between Moscow and Washington.
"But the general dynamic is negative. And, what’s more important, it is unclear what could have made it more positive. There is nowhere more to go towards deteriorate, there is only direct confrontation. I am afraid that the critical point has not been reached yet," the analyst concluded.