Russia’s Ukraine invasion sparks watershed moment in EU
People arrive on a train from Ukraine at the main railway station in Przemysl, Poland on February 27, 2022.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a watershed moment in European politics, with prominent politicians ripping up decades-old policy doctrine in just a few days.
“This weekend, we have seen a tectonic shift in Europe’s approach to Russia,” Frederick Kempe, president of the foreign policy think tank Atlantic Council, said Monday on CNBC’s “Capital Connection.”
Over the weekend, Germany said it would send lethal weapons to Ukraine, while also stepping up its military spend to more than 2% of of its GDP. The country, due to its role in World War II, had historically refused to send deadly weapons to any conflict zone, including Ukraine, and had also chosen to make only small public investments on its defense capabilities. This has now been turned on its head.
In Poland and Hungary, two nations that took a harder line against the EU when welcoming refugees from Syria and other war-torn countries, have now become the most important reception areas for Ukrainians fleeing the violence.
And the EU, the 27 member bloc often criticized for its slow processes and lack of consensus, has not only swiftly approved severe sanctions unanimously; but has also said it would finance — for the first time in its history — the purchase and delivery of weapons to a country in conflict.
“The developments over the weekend on the EU front have been quite stunning. In Brussels and especially in Berlin,” a long-time EU official, who did not want to be named due to the sensitive nature of the situation, told CNBC Monday.
The same official added: “Many hoped to see this strength of purpose in the face of such an outrage, but few believed it would materialize so quickly.”
Future policy implications
Luis Garicano, a member of the European Parliament for the liberal party Renew Europe, told CNBC that the “heroic” stance of Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with pressure from European citizens contributed to this weekend’s significant changes in European politics.
“It changes everything,” he said about future policymaking in the EU, adding that the war in Ukraine had made it clear that the European Union needs a strong and unified foreign policy.
Northern and eastern European countries have usually been “the most skeptical” toward a unified EU foreign policy, Garicano also said, but noted that the conflict is a problem for both regions.
Northern countries, notably Finland and Sweden, have also been subjected to thinly-veiled threats from Russia regarding any ascension to NATO.
Nations such as Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic countries, including Estonia and Lithuania, are concerned that the conflict might impact them too given their geographical proximity with Russia.
It is fair to say that the EU has risen to the challenge, which bodes well for strategic autonomy ambitions.
Emre Peker
director at consultancy Eurasia Group
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