After Navalny’s assassination attempt, words are not enough

After the assassination attempt, words are not enough

Published: 03 September 2020 kl. 15.45
Updated: 03 September 2020 kl. 16.30

Aftonbladet editorial page he is independently a social democrat.

Photo: Markus Schreiber / TT NEWS AGENCY

Angela Merkel and Stefan Löfven had a lot to talk about when they met today. The crown crisis has challenged cooperation from the EU, which has already been rocked by Brexit. Relations between the Union and Turkey are bad and the situation in Belarus is extremely explosive.

And then we have Russia. The news that Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent novichok can only be interpreted in one way. The Russian state is behind the assassination attempt.

Obviously, the security service is also so confident that they don’t care that they’re exposed. Of all imaginable ways of silencing an opposition politician, the one that most clearly points to the perpetrator is chosen.

Inevitably revealing

After many problems, Navalny could also move to Germany. It is clear that the assassination attempt would be revealed.

Moscow’s reaction is expected, denial. This is what the Kremlin usually do when they are exposed. The intention is probably to extend fog curtains at home.

Germany is one of the countries that has long tried to protect its relationship with Russia. It has no less economic reasons. The North Stream pipeline already makes Germany dependent on Russian energy. When the second stage is completed, the dependency will be strengthened.

It accumulates

Building on a fossil energy system is also completely incompatible with Europe’s climate goals.

The gas pipelines at the bottom of the Baltic Sea also pose a threat to Swedish security. Drawing a dividing line between commercial interests and the state does not work in Russia.

Now you can’t close your eyes anymore. Putin’s covert threats to Belarus mean the situation was already tense. Navalny’s poisoning and the fact that he is receiving care in Berlin brings relationships to the fore.

Russian arrogance

In addition to the crime itself, the assassination attempt on Alexei Navalny shows astonishing Russian arrogance against Angela Merkel and Germany, which is currently the EU presidency.

“We must be ready to act,” said Stefan Löfven in Berlin.

In this situation, the business cannot go ahead as usual. And words will not suffice.

The first thing Merkel should do is stop the completion of North Stream 2. It was a mistake from the start and has received harsh criticism from many quarters.

Now Merkel must turn on that tap for Russian gas.

Of: Ingvar Persson

Published: 03 September 2020 kl. 15.45

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