Diplomatic Game or Departure from Principles: World Media Assessments of UN and Security Council Resolutions
The third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has become another test of international unity and the diplomatic position of world leaders. The new UN resolutions, approved by the Security Council and the General Assembly, caused mixed reactions not only among politicians, but also in the world media. The fact that the Security Council resolution does not mention who exactly is the aggressor in this war, and the European countries decided to abstain from voting, became particularly resonant.
Journalists and analysts of international publications note a sharp change in rhetoric and diplomatic priorities. Some see this as a threatening signal for Ukraine, while others see it as another stage in the global political game.
taz, die tageszeitung – Germany. Ukrainians should not be frightened by the prospect of having Trump as an opponent, – thinks the Berlin TAZ:
“The fact that Trump is now fraternizing with Putin only elevates Ukraine’s struggle in the eyes of that significant part of the world that is critical of US foreign policy, reducing it to the rank of a battle for freedom.
… Ukrainians pushed back Putin’s tanks – and they will also cope with Trump’s tirades. With each Trump initiative toward an imaginary world that only legitimizes the war started by Russia, such a world becomes more and more difficult to realize diplomatically. After all, now the whole planet, from Greenland to Panama, knows what to expect from Trump. “They will not pass,” is the old anti-fascist motto. And today it is extremely relevant – in Ukraine, which has been resisting the aggressor for three years now.”
https://www.eurotopics.net/kurz/nau
Postimees – Estonia. In an article for the Tallinn-based Postimees, the director of the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS), Kristi Rijk, calls on Europe to face the truth:
“It should be clear to everyone that the top priority should now be: Ukraine and Europe need more weapons to end this war and prevent another attack. In the European Union, for several months, there has been a debate about whether budget rules can be relaxed to increase defense spending in a way that does not have to cut the welfare state.
These debates are in no way compatible with what Ukrainians have to experience at the front, and the growing danger that a major war is on the horizon in Europe. Prosperous Europe still rejoices in the hope that it does not need to give up anything in order to increase its security.
https://www.eurotopics.net/kurz/nav
Aftonbladet – Sweden. Against the background of Trump’s rapprochement with Putin, Stockholm’s Aftonbladet believes that Europe should take a more active position:
“NATO was the most powerful defense alliance in the world, but that fact lost its power the moment Trump called into question Article 5 of the NATO Charter [which deals with the obligation to provide assistance.
… It is quite possible to build a new defense alliance at the level of the European Union, which would replace NATO and become an addition to national defense.
… The European Union makes a greater contribution to the defense of Ukraine than the United States. Unlike Washington, we kept our promises and delivered what we promised. Europe can stand on its own two feet. All that is needed for this is political will.”
https://www.eurotopics.net/kurz/naw
Club Z – Bulgaria. There are attempts to explain Trump’s attachment to Russia with rational evidence, – notes the Bulgarian portal Club Z:
“Geostrategists are trying to justify the policy of the American administration with a genius move a la Kissinger: Trump is trying to get Russia on his side in case of a possible conflict with China. But this theory has its own deep cracks, because there are at least two key differences between the current situation and the seventies of the last century, when Nixon went to China – and dragged it to his side against the USSR.
First, it happened after a real military conflict between China and the Soviet Union, and today relations between China and Russia are better than you could wish for.
… Secondly, Nixon’s flirting with Beijing did not happen at the expense of the US’s European allies, and now Trump’s policy is openly directed against the stability of both the European Union and the NATO bloc.”
https://www.eurotopics.net/kurz/nax
Cyprus Mail – Cyprus. The European Union now faces very big challenges, – emphasizes the Nicosia Cyprus Mail.
“Will European states be able to offer Ukraine the support it needs to continue its fight against Russia, because any peace agreement that Trump would offer to Kyiv would be a capitulation to Putin? The coming months will be a big test for Europe and the future of the entire continent.”
https://www.eurotopics.net/kurz/nas
