Putin has become agitated
Victor Angelo
Vladimir
Putin is a real puzzle in the literal and figurative sense. In the face of
recent and multiple popular demonstrations, he has responded with renewed
violence and has again shown that in his political vision there is no room for
the slightest objection. He opposed democratic aspirations with police batons
and the arrest of thousands of citizens.
Experts
in Russian domestic politics tell me that, for the first time, Putin does not
feel at ease. He sees what is happening in Belarus and fears contagion. In
addition, his opponent Alexei Navalny appears today more than ever as a real
threat. The courage that Navalny showed on his return to Moscow, despite
knowing that he was going to put himself in the wolf's jaws, impressed many of
his compatriots. He showed determination, which is one of the main qualities
required of a political leader. On the other hand, Navalny has released this
week a long video showing the luxurious palace that Putin has built for his own
pleasure. The report on this immense extravagance, a delirious version of
Versailles in the Black Sea, is being seen by millions of citizens. Those who
know these things consider the political impact of the video on Putin's image
to be extraordinarily strong. If this is the case, it confirms what I have always
said: to bring down the autocrat it is necessary to shake and challenge his
alleged moral authority. Putin's name must be directly associated with the
large-scale corruption that exists in the meanderings of the elite in which he
moves. It is essential to show that the abuse of power and the lack of ethics
are aimed at the satisfaction of the president's ego and personal greed.
Putin
is also a puzzle for EU leaders. After six years of European sanctions against
the Russian regime, nothing has been achieved. On the contrary, the sanctions
offer him a pretext to strengthen his nationalist narrative, to proclaim that
the West is against Russia and that his historical role is to defend the
Russian homeland and soul.
The
EU's measures against autocracy and the hostility of the Kremlin are not very
incisive. On Russia, Angela Merkel and other Europeans to the west of Germany have
a very ambiguous approach. They do not reach the centre of power and do not touch,
if only slightly, one of the main sources of revenue for their public finances,
gas. The most striking example is the Nord Stream 2 project, which is almost
complete. The move to the operational phase of this pipeline must be used an
opportunity for political dialogue including, for example, the release of
Navalny and other political prisoners, the end cyber-attacks on strategic
European targets and of Kremlin’s support for German, French, Italian and other
neo-fascist movements. In other words, the entry into operation of Nord Stream
2 must be linked to the re-establishment of a platform of political trust
between the parties.
Meanwhile,
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin had a first conversation. In addition to allowing
for the continuation of the nuclear arms control treaty, the New Start, which
had been signed in 2010 and would expire in eight days' time, the US president clearly
set out his position on matters relating to Ukraine's sovereignty, espionage
and cyber-attacks by the Russian services, and defence, including the
protection of Washington's allies. He also stressed that Navalny should be
released. This way of dealing with Putin points to the line that must be
followed by Europeans. An open, clear and firm line based on continued contact
with Moscow and constant reference to the values of democracy. The same values
that mobilise thousands of Russian citizens, despite the cold and the
repression.
(Automatic translation of the opinion piece I published today in the
Diário de Notícias, the old and prestigious Lisbon newspaper)
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