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Topic: The comings and goings of the European Union (Read 240244 times)
  • jax
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The comings and goings of the European Union
This thread is about new members entering (e.g. Croatia) and old members leaving (e.g. Britain) the Union, as well as other moves and changes in the European collective collective.

Re: The comings and goings of the European Union

Reply #250 –
Quote from: Frenzie – on
Switzerland isn't in the EU.
True, technically. Here are more technicalities that makes it all check out. Matviyenko is under EU sanctions, banned from travelling in the Schengen area. Switzerland is part of Schengen area and, with regard to Russia, Switzerland actually simply copies EU sanctions, so the same sanctions apply to Matviyenko in Switzerland. To enable Matviyenko to get to Geneva, Switzerland had to create a specific loophole for her.

And, of course there are more examples than just Matviyenko going to Geneva.

Edit: Relevant to NFKRZ's video, if you have to retract a privilege or cancel an agreement that, in Georgia's case, entered into force in 2017 - less than ten years ago - then it was probably a mistake to grant it in the first place. Either the EU is, as I would say, a criminally incompetent moron, or, as NFKRZ would say, a hypocrite. Well, I would say the latter too.

Re: The comings and goings of the European Union

Reply #251 –
According to Merkel, Baltic countries and Poland have not been nice enough with Putin and Russia.
Quote from: https://www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-blast-poland-baltics-share-blame-russia-invasion-ukraine/
“In June 2021, I felt that Putin was no longer taking the Minsk agreement seriously,” Merkel said, referring to the peace agreement relating to control of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region following the 2014-2015 conflict. “And that’s why I wanted a new format where we, as the European Union, could talk directly with Putin.”

At a European Council meeting that month, Merkel and Macron proposed direct negotiations with other leaders in response to the buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine’s border. But a coalition of Eastern European countries, including Poland, opposed the idea.

“This was not supported by some. It was mainly the Baltic states, but Poland was also against it,” she said.
In a normal world, the one who does not take peace agreements seriously and builds up troops for attack is the aggressor, but in Merkel's world it is the other way round.
Quote from: https://www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-blast-poland-baltics-share-blame-russia-invasion-ukraine/
Directly contradicting Merkel, former Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said on Monday that at the time, many countries had not understood Russia, “including Germany and the former chancellor herself.

“I consistently told her that you cannot deal with Putin ‘in good faith,’ but she believed that the Baltic states were wrong. I was well aware of Merkel’s views, but I am astonished that after everything that has happened in Ukraine, she still thinks this way,” Kariņš said.
One of the major problems with the EU always was that the biggies thought of themselves as better and more knowledgeable in everything, while failing hard in geopolitics. No matter how hard the failure, they hold on to their superiority complex.
Quote from: https://www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-blast-poland-baltics-share-blame-russia-invasion-ukraine/
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, now deputy leader of the opposition nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, said on X: “Angela Merkel, through her thoughtless interview, proved that she is among the most harmful German politicians to Europe in the past century.”
Talking about individual contributions to EU geopolitics, perhaps only Schröder has been more harmful than Merkel.

When asked (at 26:50) that Orban is viewed by some as Putin's Trojan horse in the EU, Merkel says, "Nein, das ist Kwatsch. Wir würden nicht auf solche Sachen hereinfallen." (my transcription may be off - my German sucks) This has been reported in English as "We would not fall for this." The reality is of course that Merkel and a critical mass of EU elite always fell for Putin and channelled Russian propaganda. And Orban is not elite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjSHkSPUxRc

Re: The comings and goings of the European Union

Reply #252 –
Quote from: ersi – on
One of the major problems with the EU always was that the biggies thought of themselves as better and more knowledgeable in everything, while failing hard in geopolitics. No matter how hard the failure, they hold on to their superiority complex.
I'm inclined to think it may be more that we have an East German here, though of course Schröder isn't one.

Quote from: ersi – on
(my transcription may be off - my German sucks)
It's perfectly fine here. :)

Re: The comings and goings of the European Union

Reply #253 –
Quote from: Frenzie – on
I'm inclined to think it may be more that we have an East German here, though of course Schröder isn't one.
Since Schröder isn't from East Germany, Macron isn't from East Germany, Rutte isn't from East Germany and so on with the rest of this ilk, it would be more correct to be inclined towards that it has probably nothing to do with East Germany. To the contrary, most of the sharpest opponents of Russia are geographically closest to Russia.

Quote from: Frenzie – on
Quote from: ersi – on
(my transcription may be off - my German sucks)
It's perfectly fine here. :)
Thanks :up: