Listen to the Podcast! >>>>>
Below is transcript of podcast…
Emanuel Todd...
On August 31st, the Izvestia newspaper published an interview by well known French historian and political analyst Emanuel Todd, in which he calls Western Europe’s face-turn to the former republics in the defunct Soviet Union, especially Russia, natural and predictable, saying that the only thing is for Europe to quickly become conscious of this.
In the wake of the Cold War, the liberal public opinion in Europe inexplicably remained silent and dormant, but politicians are more realistic. Germany has been quicker to establish mutually advantageous ties with Russia, particularly because of Russia’s vast natural resources and Germany’s need to sell its industrial goods. Besides, Germany needs stability in Eastern Europe for its own dynamic growth. Speaking strictly, if Berlin and Moscow can hit it off, the rest of Europe will fall in line, said Mr. Todd.
France remains a key partner of Russia, and the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy who came to power in 2007, does not mince words in criticizing Russia, but always manages to bring back their bilateral relations to their traditional level- like a true pragmatist. Both sides are now thinking about strategic partnership, said Todd.Unfortunately, relations with Russia are being constructed by European states according to the American script because of NATO and similar organizations, the aim being to isolate Russia from the rest of Europe.
The U.S is deeply worried that Russia is no l onger viewed as a threat in Europe and America is busy throwing wedges into the Russo-European worksThe problem of Europe is the lack of independent geopolitical strategy and foreign policy concept, said Todd European partners of Russia are convinced that it poses no threat, but still can’t reexamine the country’s place and role in international affairs from the European point of view, Russia’s role in the 20th century is more positive than negative. It did not attack Western Europe, but instead halted the Nazis, said Todd.
What does Emanuel Todd think about the CIS? A similar tendency to what happened in the 90s, when the Soviet Union broke up, while Western Europe transformed into the European Union- the EU is taking place in Western and Eastern Europe. Now, European integration is stagnating while republics in the former Soviet Union are cooperating ever more closely. The integration in the CIS is an objective geopolitical reality, said Todd.It is now widely realized that a complete break in ties between Ukraine and Russia could have led to a collapse of the first. Kiev wants political independence, but it cannot survive without economic integration with its Northern neighbour.
Mr. Todd believes that the Georgian episode was a turning point for the CIS. Russia behaved like a regional leader in the conflict, he said comparing a hypothetical war of intervention against Georgia with France deciding to fight against Monaco. The most important thing is that the August , 2008 events demonstrated the geopolitical absence in the region of the US, said Todd.
Emanuel Todd gained prominence in 1970 when he predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union. His latest book called “After the Empire” in which he said that the U.S was gradually becoming a problem for the rest of the world, has become a best seller.
Windows to Russia!
- Some Simple News From Russia (8/31/2010)… (windowstorussia.com)
- Russia: Big Automobile Business Likes Russia! (windowstorussia.com)
- Germany And Russia Moving Closer Together (businessinsider.com)
- Market Reforms, 20 Years Later (scientificamerican.com)
- Russia: NATO is it Going to Collapse? (windowstorussia.com)
- Russia: Gorbachev Seems to be Sliding Back Into the Political World! (windowstorussia.com)
- U.S.A. Gives Russia bad marks! (windowstorussia.com)
- Russia: Ukraine will return the Gas it has been Stealing! (windowstorussia.com)