Antonia Colibasanu, operating director of the American Geopolitical Analysis Review Network, wrote on Tuesday (19th) that the Kremlin has long tried to challenge the Western socioeconomic model，Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging “World Economic War I”, targeting the European Union and Western countries.
Despite the significance of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the most strategic event in recent weeks has been the global economic war between Russia and the United States and its allies. Colibasanu pointed out that since the early 2000s, Russia has been preparing to confront the West and challenge the Western socioeconomic model.
Putin pushes dependency strategy
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic crisis of the 1990s, Putin assumed the presidency of Russia in 2000, inheriting a shattered country.
Many Russians are considering joining the European Union, hoping that an alliance with the West will lead to a better life. The primary task of the Russian establishment is to stabilize and rebuild the country. Putin wants to stabilize the regime. He has used the example of successful Russian leaders in the past to centralize power, slow immigration, and solve the problem of Russia’s poor population. Economically dependent on Moscow.
Russia has begun to invest and open its economy to the West. Germany has become the key to Putin’s strategy of dependence. Germany relies heavily on Russian energy. The relationship between the two countries is closer than that between Germany and the EU. Russia has also established close relationships with Italy, France and Hungary. business cooperation.
On November 8, 2011, the Nord Stream 1 project was commissioned, Germany imported natural gas directly from Russia, Europe became less willing to adopt policies that might be seen as anti-Russian, the relationship between Germany and the United States cooled, and the United States needed Germany to lead Europe, Or at least remain neutral to prevent Russia from expanding its influence in Europe. Russia also joined the World Trade Organization, making it a more secure place on the global stage.
Under Putin’s rule, the standard of living of the Russian people has improved. Major Russian cities where life is similar to the West. However, when Russia becomes a major player in the energy market, it also increases its influence on the global economic cycle.
Colibasanu believes that Russia has enthusiastically supported many of the EU’s green energy policies, such as Germany’s decision to abandon nuclear power, which translates into a greater German reliance on Russian gas. Russia has also publicly supported populist parties across Europe and has effectively used information warfare, all of which are aimed at destabilizing and ultimately dividing Europe.
Beyond that, Colibasanu said, Russia has maintained close ties with traditional enemies and rivals in the West, and Russia’s continued focus on building ties with China and India is now paying off. Western countries announced economic sanctions once morest Russia due to the Ukrainian-Russian war. At the same time, Russia sought help from China and continued to export energy to the Middle East and Africa, indirectly injecting war funds.
Colibasanu pointed out that Russia is trying to focus on the economy, expand its influence over other countries, exploit the weaknesses of the global network, and ensure that the world is extremely dependent on Russian energy and food crops, which is enough to provide it with a bargaining chip for war.
Although Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been repeatedly sanctioned by Western countries, the EU has so far not reached a consensus on embargoing Russian fossil fuels, and Hungary has made it clear that it is willing to use rubles to buy Russian natural gas. To reduce Russia’s energy dependence, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last month that the EU aims to phase out imports of Russian oil, gas and coal by 2027. However, the EU has not written the end date of 2027 into the “Versailles Declaration” (Versailles Declaration), which shows that the EU is heavily dependent on Russian energy.
Colibasanu concluded that a strategy like Putin’s certainly has its weaknesses, but Russia has options once morest the West,The world is witnessing the first economic world war in modern history, and damage is inevitable and unpredictable.
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