EU FOREIGN AND ENERGY SECURITY POLICY IN THE WIDER BLACK SEA – CASPIAN REGION AND UKRAINE
Journal Title: Impact Strategic - Year 2008, Vol 26, Issue 1
Abstract
The European Security landscape is under the process of fundamental realignments and drastic transformations – most radical since the end of the Cold War. The end of the 33 years long “de Gaulle’s era” in Europe trigged the avalanche of new threats, challenges and opportunities. The revival of reincarnated Germany as a new and ambitious global power today become quite obvious and France, that was traditionally in charge in Europe during the last decades, have neither economic, demographic nor political resources for continuation of European leadership and further “containment” of Germany. Enlarged with new CEE countries, EU now progressively looses its “anti-Americanism”. Poland and the Baltic States persistently oppose to residuals of Willy Brandt’s or Schroeder’s Ostpolitik and categorically reject the policy of “Russia’s appeasement”. Other CEE countries mainly support American leadership and American ballistic missile defence program. Even Finland and Sweden – traditionally neutral states - unexpectedly announced that they will join NATO’s rapid reaction force and they are ready to participate in other NATO activities apparently as a first steps to the full-fledged Alliance membership. Traditional Gaulist paradigm of “Great France “ is dead and much more “pro-American” Sarcozy, made quite clear that he will not support the “specific” Jacques Chirac type relations with Russia, demonstrating a little interest in France having a leading role in global affairs, stressing out instead the pressing internal problems. Under the leadership of Angela Merkel, Germany also entered a new phase in the relations with Russia. Mrs. Merkel has all the chances to become the most effective European leader of the post-Cold War period. But some serious problems could potentially break the new ambitious course of Germany in foreign and energy security policy. According to the German party alliance practice, the conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel has been forced to deliver control over the German foreign policy to the Social-Democrats nominee Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the former chief of staff of the Chancellor Schroeder, who is now on Putin’s payroll as the executive chairman of Nord Stream. Mr. Steinmeier, well-known for his pro-Russian orientations, was recently “awarded” with active support of Mr. Schroeder and his KGB origin partners with a very “perspective” parliamentary constituency. This move potentially allows him to challenge Angela Merkel on the next parliamentary election. Thus multi-vectored foreign and security policy is not a unique Ukrainian invention and internal Germany party games between pro-American and pro-Russian camps could directly influence the future security landscape of Europe.
Authors and Affiliations
Alexander Goncharenko
Keywords
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