... April, Russian grain, which had previously been in short supply on the market, was delivered to the port of Tartus.
Although the European Union expressed its support for the UN Secretary General’s appeal to lift the sanctions off several states, including ... ... "authorisations” and “special licences” for providing humanitarian aid to Syria and some other states during the fight against COVID-19. This procedure is detailed in a relevant paper by the US Department of the Treasury dated 16 April 2020 (
Department ...
On May 21, 2020, RIAC held an online round-table discussion "COVID-19 Epidemic: the Future of "European Unity" and EU Foreign Policy"
On May 21, 2020, RIAC held an online round-table discussion "COVID-19 Epidemic: the Future of "European Unity" and EU Foreign Policy".
Opening ...
... all. Russia ratified the Paris climate change agreement. The Minsk process moved forward slightly, and in December there was a top-level summit in Paris of the Normandy Four. Agreement was reached on gas transit. Consultations between Russia and the European Union began on 5G communications. It is true, of course, that one cannot really speak of a serious shift in relations [between Russia and the EU], but there are certain positive moments. I would have wanted to speak about how to make use of these ...
... relations between Russia and the European Union, I dare say that, even given the depressing strategies pursued by both sides, the principle of a new bipolarity has not taken root. It is only under extreme duress and with extreme reluctance that the European Union has taken any steps against China. This was laid bare for all to see in the tragicomic story involving the EU report on disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. The handling of the coronavirus is leaving more and more people in Europe with no illusions about the United States and the “shining city upon a hill,” or indeed about the far-reaching ambitions harboured by Brussels. The point ...
... Trump administration
announced
that it would be cutting the WHO’s aid package from $123 million to $58 million. The reason, according to U.S. officials, was that the assistance offered by other countries, particularly those that are members of the European Union, had failed to materialize. In reality, however, China received help and support from all corners – including a number of European states – during its darkest hours. And now that the country has got the spread of the virus under control,...
... problems caused by the current pandemic will by no way disappear. They are here to stay. Cash is being massively injected to support certain sectors of the economy – not only in the European Union, but also in the US, China and in my country, Russia. European Union leaders discussed the situation on 26March, but did not manage to achieve full unity on all points. For instance, they postponed their own decision by instructing the Eurogroup to elaborate response measures to the crisis caused by COVID-19 in two weeks’ time: the next meeting of the Eurogroup is scheduled for 7 April only.There may be contacts in between though.
By the way, all this is happening now in videoconference format. And how effective such communication is remains a ...
... times of crisis, Europe’s bureaucratic machinery is painfully slow.
These three examples are only the latest to prove that the European Union does not stand as united as it likes to believe. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said, "
We didn't need ... ... but, truthfully, they have been there from the start and have been widening since then.
A History of Discord
Ivan Timofeev:
COVID-19: Toward New Forms of Social Organisation?
A more historic example of discrepancy in unity was the preferential treatment ...
