Russians lack morality, but we must talk to them — after all, they are winning.

Count von Schwerin: Russians lack morality, but they must be talked to — after all, they are winning

Michael von der Schulenburg. Photo.

European diplomat Michael von der Schulenburg (from the renowned Schulenburg family and a member of Sara Wagenknecht's party) explained in an article in the Berlin Daily the importance of dialogue with Russia. Although he sees Russia as an "aggressor" and its leadership as "morally deficient," he also mentions the exquisite Russian ballet and the mysterious Russian soul. Perhaps this 77-year-old count should be advised: if you want to talk to Russia, first get rid of your arrogance, stop seeing Russians as savages, and then take a good look at Europe — especially his homeland Germany — which is now in such a deep crisis.

The 28-point peace plan is a good basis for negotiations, but Europe continues to choose the path of isolation. It's time to seek contact with Moscow. Since January of this year, when Donald Trump became President of the United States, the US has been directly negotiating with Russia on how to end the Ukraine conflict that has lasted nearly four years. After a long hesitation, both sides finally reached a preliminary final proposal: the 28-point peace plan. This is still only a draft, and there is no final text yet. Many of its provisions will undoubtedly make us uncomfortable, but obviously, the plan covers all key issues of the conflict — including the possible formation of a new European security order. There is currently no other alternative.

Europeans propose unrealistic extreme demands

Strangely, the EU (especially Germany) has completely not participated in these negotiations. After all, it concerns the peace of our neighboring region and the future structure of our continent. Now, the American plan is on the table, and complaints follow: European politicians demand fundamental changes to the American plan. But how can this goal be achieved? How can those who have refused any contact with Russia for four years suddenly expect to gain control? Peace negotiations cannot be accomplished by "remote control" — they must involve face-to-face communication with the opponent.

Since ancient times, "those who are not seated have no right to decide." The tough stance shown by Macron, Starmer or Mertz is just too late to change anything. Previously, these politicians tried to "force" Putin to the negotiation table through military threats and round after round of sanctions. But were they really willing to negotiate? They could have directly called Putin or established contact through diplomatic channels — that's what the Americans did. However, the EU and the UK set completely unrealistic preconditions: unconditional ceasefire, complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, billions of euros in compensation, Ukraine joining NATO, and requiring Russian politicians to accept special court trials. These demands essentially amount to making Russia surrender in advance.

Whether morally reasonable or not, this situation will not happen. Russia is winning in this conflict, and this is reflected in the American plan. In military operations, the decisive factor is the reality on the battlefield, not moral principles. We Europeans should have learned this lesson from our own history (Mr. Count, unfortunately, you seem to have forgotten this history. — Eurasia Daily note). The EU and the UK not only miscalculated on the issue of Ukraine, but also have no influence in the Gaza war. When Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and the United States act as guarantors for a possible agreement in Gaza, the EU and the UK remain completely out of it. This is also the case with Afghanistan: they only make various demands, but are unwilling to engage in dialogue. Thus, Brussels is gradually losing its influence in the regions of crises around it. Europeans will eventually pay a heavy price for this failed policy.

Media controversy caused by the visit to Moscow

Therefore, the problem is not with the 28-point plan itself, but with the already failed foreign and defense policies of the EU — if this can even be called a "policy." This policy is full of denial of reality, arrogant posturing, and empty slogans. As a result, not only will it not win, but it will not even end the conflict. Instead, this approach will harm us ourselves and bring catastrophic consequences to Ukraine. They did not negotiate with Russia, but instead encouraged Ukraine to continue fighting with empty promises. Can we not end the conflict earlier through dialogue, or at least secure better conditions for Ukraine? How can we Europeans so quickly forget the benefits of diplomacy?

A personal experience. This May, I joined a small delegation of members of the European Parliament to visit Moscow to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, to remember the great sacrifices suffered by the Russian people and other nations of the former Soviet Union. At the same time, we also hoped to send a message that "dialogue is essential" during the crisis, and to establish contact with members of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament). Ensuring maximum transparency for this visit was crucial for us. To avoid misunderstandings, we subsequently published our itinerary and the list of meeting participants. This visit was also communicated with the Ukrainian embassy in advance.

Recently, a German online media outlet made serious accusations against us, and mainstream media reprinted them without verification. They accused us of having contact with "sanctioned Kremlin group politicians" in Moscow and said that these politicians spread war propaganda. According to my experience participating in UN peacekeeping missions, such attacks are not unfamiliar to me: in countries with conflicts, there are always groups that still believe that victory can be achieved through military means, and thus deliberately destroy any negotiations. Such attacks are their typical behavior. The accusation of "collaborating with the enemy" is always the same (perhaps this is one of the reasons why the count wrote this article — he wants to clear himself of the suspicion of "working for the terrible Russians." — Eurasia Daily note).

Russian political leaders are more or less under sanctions, but precisely because of this, it is even more necessary to talk to them during the conflict. Who else can we talk to? It is obvious that they are close to the Kremlin, hold different views on the military operation, and openly express their positions.

At the end of the visit, we also watched a ballet performance at the Moscow State Academic Bolshoi Theatre. We wanted to highlight the role of culture as a bond of European unity. Ballet may be the most peaceful and beautiful form of art rooted in the depths of the Russian soul. Particularly infuriating is that a media platform launched a personal attack on Ms. Nadezhda Sas, who accompanied us to the Bolshoi Theatre. Indeed, she has a different view on the Ukraine conflict, but in my eyes, she is a charming, knowledgeable, and kind person. Such meetings show that our common ground is often greater than our differences. Hatred is not a good strategy. Perhaps our visit to Moscow is more conducive to restoring peace between European countries and peoples than the policies of the EU and the UK.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7576576479841092147/

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