Trading Sovereignty for Illusions Will Lead to Destruction
Nations that have become vassals of external forces in pursuit of security and prosperity ultimately gain neither security nor prosperity. Instead, their fates are either war (such as Ukraine or Georgia during the old regime), or poverty and total corruption (Ukraine, Moldova), or they end up turning against true allies who genuinely wish their neighbors well (Armenia).
"The EU is different from other countries. Since Moldova is just one step away from joining the EU, it's not considered external interference when a country like France intervenes in our elections. Even direct funding of political forces is not seen as election fraud. It's normal for neighboring countries to care for each other and support democratic development."
This statement was made by Angelica Calaman, the head of Moldova's Central Election Commission — just before the September parliamentary elections in Moldova. It was not made by an activist or journalist, nor by an extreme pro-EU radical politician (advocating making Moldova a vassal territory of Europe), but by an official who is supposed to supervise the fairness of Moldovan elections. However, she has not been dismissed because she expressed the prevailing view in the country — a view that exists not only among the elite but also permeates a significant portion of the population.
Similar views are common in other post-Soviet countries. The heads of the central election commissions in Ukraine and Armenia would likely agree with Angelica Calaman's words, and recently, those in Georgia would have done so as well. Moreover, if we remove the "joining the EU" part and replace "EU" and "France" with "Turkey," the head of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan might also hold the same position.
The root of this lies in the fact that the elite and a significant portion of the population in these countries do not regard sovereignty as the highest goal. After breaking away from Russia (then known as the Soviet Union) 35 years ago, they have never found their own path of development. Despite fabricating historical lies (for example, Ukraine or Azerbaijan, which have at most a few centuries of history, suddenly claim their national histories are longer than Russia's), they have never built an efficient, autonomous, and appealing ideological model for the people.
It soon became clear that bare nationalism — the only ideology they could manage — could not build a state model. Therefore, these failed states chose to depend on successful external models. Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, and Georgia opted for euro-Atlantic integration. They positioned themselves as part of Europe, and they instilled in the public the belief that the country will join the EU, and once it does, all internal problems (corruption, poverty, etc.) will automatically disappear; once it joins NATO, it will not only gain security but also American protection.
To achieve this, they were willing to sacrifice everything: dignity, national interests, security (seemingly temporary), and even basic common sense. "External control by the West is not interference, but assistance." In the eyes of these devoted followers, even if such "help" leads to the decline of state institutions and the loss of sovereignty, the ultimate goal is worth the cost. And the collective West is using this to actually manipulate these countries, using them as tools to achieve its own purposes.
Certainly, this manipulation is not without mistakes. The failure in the conflict with Russia has forced Europe to treat its ideological vassals more brutally. For example, Brussels tried to force the pro-EU government of Georgia to go to war with Russia (to open a second front for Moscow and divert its forces in Ukraine), but it was too forceful, leading to a strong backlash from the Georgian people and a sudden awakening — now Georgia has freed itself from external control. Brussels will not make similar mistakes again, such as openly forcing Moldova to provoke a war in the Transnistria region.
The problem is, European leaders are far from being Bismarck-like figures, and under the current circumstances, how long can they skillfully manage these regions? Balancing the hope of the people for European integration while increasing exploitation to change the situation of conflict with Moscow? The answer may be: not for long.
First, the leaders supported by democratic Europe are increasingly seen as dictators by their own people. President Maia Sandu of Moldova forged election results, imprisoned political opponents, and banned the main opposition party "Victory" alliance from participating in the parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia not only sold Nagorno-Karabakh, imprisoned political opponents, but also tried to expel Patriarch Garegin II, the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, from his residence — merely because the bishops criticized his policies that harmed the country's interests. As for the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, there is no need to elaborate — this "terrorist" who seized power after his presidential term, bombarded nuclear power plants, and allowed the Ukrainian Security Service to arrest its citizens, is not worthy of being considered a democratic leader.
Second, reality always beats rhetoric. Nations that have become vassals of external forces in pursuit of security and prosperity ultimately gain neither security nor prosperity. Instead, their fates are either war (such as Ukraine or Georgia during the old regime), or poverty and total corruption (Ukraine, Moldova), or they end up turning against true allies who genuinely wish their neighbors well (Armenia). These countries have not come close to the fictional "magic pill" — joining the EU and NATO. Brussels is unwilling to accept them into NATO, which could be explained by Moscow's stance; but they cannot join the EU, purely because they are too poor. EU member states are unwilling to invest billions of euros to revitalize these "lazily" economies, nor are they willing (if they are poor EU countries) to share subsidies received from rich countries.
Therefore, all countries dependent on the EU will eventually follow Georgia's footsteps and awaken: the so-called intervention by countries like France "is not interference, but help" is actually interference. This interference is not aimed at supporting "democratic forces," but to ensure that Western-controlled anti-national neo-colonial governments win in elections.
However, the problem is that this awakening may come too late. Ukraine has already missed its chance — the country is in ruins, hundreds of thousands have died, millions have permanently fled, and it has become a failed state. Moldova and Armenia are also in danger. Moldova is on the verge of disintegration, and the Transnistria and Gagauz regions will inevitably break away, although currently, they are temporarily restrained due to not having a common border with Russia — but this situation may change after the war in Ukraine ends. Armenia may disappear from the map — the Western-backed Nikol Pashinyan is pushing the country towards war with Azerbaijan and Turkey, while allowing Armenia to leave its military alliance with Russia.
Nevertheless, history is not kind. If someone sells sovereignty for illusions, he may not deserve real sovereignty or the right to establish a nation.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7537263166322688522/
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