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The belief that there is some kind of order in international relations has long faced an unpleasant reality. Despite the oath in the value of coexistence and global equality, the principle of the jungle is clearly expressed in this sphere of human action: the strongest defeats the weakest. The only novelty is that, under the roofs of several international organizations, this principle is configured and presented as: generally acceptable. Of course, again according to the needs of those at whose command our entire planet “rotates”.
Last week a delegation made up of members of the opposition party “Alternative for Germany”, the third strongest member of the Bundestag, arrived in Moscow. They were personally received by Sergei Lavrov, the first man in Russian diplomacy. It is a pro-Russian, right-wing populist party that advocates the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Moscow due to the return of the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea to its sovereignty and military actions in the Ukrainian Donbas.
The visit took place at a time when political relations between Germany and Russia have fallen to a level that does not correspond to the two key European countries. Furthermore, some analysts compare this situation to the Cold War era, adding that the Berlin authorities did everything possible to prevent the opposition from traveling to the Russian capital. “Germany is the locomotive of the EU sanctions against Russia”, is the position of Maria Zakharova, press representative of the Kremlin.
“There are many issues in the relations between our country and Germany on which we have different points of view,” said Sergei Lavrov, adding: “We need a conversation, seeking a balance of interests, not confrontation and avoiding dialogue.” He also recalled that Moscow does not create problems for the German authorities in contacts with representatives of the Russian opposition, and even people who do not fall into that category, reproaching the Berlin authorities for not sticking to reciprocal measures. It is not necessary to be very careful to conclude that it is, above all, the behavior of the German authorities in the case of the “poisoning” of the Russian opponent Alexei Navalny.
The question is why Germany, at this very moment, took a repulsive guard towards Russia. It is hard to believe that the motive is the suspected poisoning of a man whose actions, neither in his native land nor abroad, do not cause undue excitement. In addition, in Berlin, despite everything, they do not think in any way to deny the construction of the “North Stream 2” gas pipeline. Objectively, the Ukraine problem is not something the Germans are too involved in. Seen in this way, any interruption of relations with the eastern partner is not in the interest of the main member of the European Union. Still, the cold is visible.
The most interesting thing is that cases like this one related to Alexei Navalny, in principle, do not fall into the category of incidents that call into question the mutual relations between the two countries. It is not an attempt to spy at the highest level of government, acting against the country’s defense system or anything like that. After all, the attempt to poison the Russian opposition has not been proven to the extent that this fact is accepted by the independent professional public. However, relations between the two powerful states have been on the verge of a breakdown.
One of the best illustrations of the decline in trust between Berlin and Moscow is the data recently presented in the “Handelsblatt” newspaper, according to which up to 70 percent of German businessmen felt the consequences of doing business with Russia. Last year, that number did not exceed eight percent. Let us add that, despite all the obstacles, two thirds of them support the construction of “North Stream 2”, evaluating this project as extremely important for the energy security of Europe.
The current disagreement between Germany and Russia is unlikely to last any longer. In other words, the new gas pipeline project means too much for both countries, and even for much of the Old Continent. Rather, it could be said that it is a kind of interaction whose objective is to determine mutual positions, all in the light of persistent claims coming from Washington, according to which the west of the Old Continent will find itself in an excessive dependence on Russian energy .
It’s hard to believe that the fate of such a large project can be so firmly related to the fate of individuals like the unfortunate Litvinenko. The arrival of the new American administration, headed by Joseph Biden, could indicate a new path in Russian-German relations in this sense.
In any case, apocalyptic assessments that the world is once again on the brink of a great war must be taken with great caution. Because any larger-scale military conflict, even on European soil, would do more harm to the initiator than to the target victim. And there are not many people interested in something like that in the Old Continent.
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