Cordon sanitaire

Points of view in Eastern Europe


   Leaders of some Eastern European countries and Russia have repeatedly stated that there is no problems in relations, the pursuit of friendship, the reluctance of countries to be "a new cordon sanitaire".

   Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis in an interview with Berliner Zeitung, answering the question "as he defines the role of his country against Russia as a bridge, or as part of a cordon sanitaire", said that Latvia has always been a historical bridge between East and West, and Today, having a developed transport infrastructure, is the ideal "springboard" between the consumer market development EU and the developing markets of Russia and the CIS.

   Former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, is convinced that the West should eventually offer Russia full membership in the Atlantic structures. President of neighboring Lithuania Valdas Adamkus says that "the risk of new" iron curtain "remains to this day, and in the immediate vicinity of Lithuania is the country, shunning democratic change, however, he said, there are no walls or doors such that democracy could not be overcome, so you should create a Europe whole and free "from the Adriatic to the Caspian Sea.

   Party of Regions leader Viktor Yanukovych, the words quoted by the newspaper telegraph.co.uk, reports that his political opponents see Ukraine a key element of a cordon sanitaire against Russia, and expressed doubt that such a confrontation in the interest of Europe. In the modern Ukrainian journalism concept of "cordon sanitaire" is used to describe the processes associated with a serious intensification of the visa regime between Ukraine and its Central European neighbors, which occurs despite the assurances of European politicians sympathetic to Ukraine. So, Yuri Andrukhovych wrote:

   The European side did not offer anything new, just the idea of a "buffer zone", which is already a hundred years, such a gray area between Russia and the West, the only purpose of which - do not let them, that is, Russia and the West Partnership. In this regard, you start a completely different way to understand the euphemism "new neighbors", which sounds optimistic. "New Neighbors" - are those who in any case protected the Europe from Russia is not quite convenient.

   The idea of a cordon sanitaire sometimes finds and popularizers. Dzhiroen Bult (Estonian Jeroen Bult), an analyst at the Estonian Institute of International and Social Research, writes in Postimees, that Russia must answer for their crimes, but Estonia alone can not create a new cordon sanitaire, so it should convince the vacillating old Europe. Member of Slovak Parliament, Member of PACE Sergei Helemendik notes that the discussion of possible topics and the more future wars in Europe for the old Europe, politically incorrect, but for mladoevropeytsev inadmissible, and, ironically adds:

   Implicitly in the 'new' Europe lives historically correct fear - do not make it out of them again a bargaining chip 'big politics'. New 'cordon sanitaire' against Iranian missiles, flying up from Belarus.