France's Le Pen, in Moscow, blames EU for new 'Cold War'
Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Front, blamed the European Union for declaring a new Cold War on Russia that would hurt all concerned, Russian media reported on Saturday as she paid an official visit to Moscow.
Europe-Russia relations are at their lowest ebb in decades after President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea prompted the EU to impose sanctions on dozens of prominent Russian officials and lawmakers.
However Le Pen, along with other Eurosceptic leaders of the far left and nationalist right, believe the original fault lies with Brussels for offering closer ties with Ukraine, a move Russia opposes.
"I am surprised a Cold War on Russia has been declared in the European Union," French National Front leader Le Pen said at a meeting with Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of the Russian parliament's lower house.
"It's not in line with traditional, friendly relations nor with the economic interests of our country or EU countries and harms future relations," Russian news agency Interfax quoted her as saying in its Russian-language service.
Her comments echo those of Austrian far-right leader Heinz-Christian Strache who has openly sided with Putin, condemning the EU sanctions as a farce. Le Pen's Dutch political partner Geert Wilders has also said the EU made the first mistake.
The way Europe has handled the crisis over Ukraine could become an issue in the European Parliament elections in May. Opinion polls suggest right-wing nationalist parties will perform well. French polls show the National Front emerging as the leading French party in the European elections.
At the meeting with Le Pen, Naryshkin, who is one of the officials hit by the EU's asset freezes and travel bans, stressed the importance of Russia's ties with France, but said relations had been strained by "Russophobic, anti-Russia campaigns" instigated by several European countries.
The United States and the EU, worried that Putin could seek to take control of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, have warned they could impose broader sanctions affecting entire sectors of Russia's economy if he escalates the crisis.
Emboldened by the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea, pro-Russian groups in Ukraine's east have occupied public buildings in three cities, a move Kiev officials say Russian forces may use as a pretext to cross the border to protect the activists, though Moscow denies this.
Le Pen, a tough-talking former lawyer, said Ukraine's eastern regions should be allowed to choose greater independence from Kiev.
"The idea of federalism would give regions the chance of broad autonomy, to determine their destiny independently," Interfax quoted her as saying.
Although I agree with them on this issue, I wonder what is behind the far right in Europe taking this position. Is it simply a political calculation? I don't know.
France's Le Pen, in Moscow, blames EU for new 'Cold War' | Reuters
That said, I think sanctions are a necessary response.
Europe-Russia relations are at their lowest ebb in decades after President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea prompted the EU to impose sanctions on dozens of prominent Russian officials and lawmakers.
-- I have heard the European right wing support of Putins lates actions mentioned very often. What people dont mention is that the European radical left (yes there is a radical left almoust as despicable as the radical right in Europe) also support his actions because they are anti Western. Die Linke in Germany has probably been the most vocal supporter of Putins recent actions in Germany.
If I were an American I might rightly wonder who in Europe actually still wishes to be allies.
If there is a natural political centre and that is all that is left of those of us that wish to stand against Putin's invasion of Ukraine and other plans I worry. There is something very odd happening here and I don't quite get it yet.
Also, strangely with the extremes of European hard left and European hard right both supporting Putin because of their anti-Eu stance - where do they stand on Putin's ultimate aim of a Eurasion Custom's Union to rival the EU?
Do they want power and to destroy the EU only to sell us down the river to Putin's Custom's Union?
In Eastern Europe, Poland and Ukraine, there is another perspective that holds relations began deteriorating long ago, when a warning to the then US president went unheeded. Vladimir Putin warned George W. Bush he would "tear her [Ukraine] apart if the west instigated anything.
They did. And now the chickens have come home to roost, few are happy, the youth of Europe have never known a cold war, and the boomers are tired of ti, don't want to see another. The right happens to be the party ready and able to fill that leadership void. There is a growing drift away from a US-centric Euro-American alliance. As the GNP of the EU rises, the right of course wants to sever the US umbilical, strangely now parroting the mood of the left of the 1970's.
If I were an American I might rightly wonder who in Europe actually still wishes to be allies.
If there is a natural political centre and that is all that is left of those of us that wish to stand against Putin's invasion of Ukraine and other plans I worry. There is something very odd happening here and I don't quite get it yet.
Also, strangely with the extremes of European hard left and European hard right both supporting Putin because of their anti-Eu stance - where do they stand on Putin's ultimate aim of a Eurasion Custom's Union to rival the EU?
Do they want power and to destroy the EU only to sell us down the river to Putin's Custom's Union?
The European right wing thinks it can still win WW2.
I think they just want to return into the reactionary 19th century nationalism which plungded this continent into it`s 2 greatest catastrophies.
Americans are actually quite indifferent to what goes on in Europe, just as they were prior to involving themselves in WWII. Obama could never convince Americans to get involved over there though perhaps his successor might. Most feel, it seems to me, that the Europeans, especially in the West, have made their collective bed.
Perhaps here you mean the German right wing? If not, could you please elaborate?
Which is quite a wrong notion.
Especialy now I have this feeling that with a little bit more destablisation the continent can collapse into chaos again.
Many of the peoples of various nations still have a deepseated hatred for oneanother.
Yes, it is a wrong notion and one fostered by both sides. But after Iraq and Afghanistan the American people understandably have no interest in Europe, one way or another. In fact Barrack Obama has displayed strongly inappropriate responses against the British, America's longest and closest friends in Europe. Europe will be forced to struggle through its own problems.
In fact there were strong arguments at one time that a United Europe would form a strong countermeasure against American power and influence in the world. Now might be the opportunity to test that theory.
But after Iraq and Afghanistan the American people understandably have no interest in Europe, one way or another.
In fact Barrack Obama has displayed strongly inappropriate responses against the British, America's longest and closest friends in Europe. Europe will be forced to struggle through its own problems.
There is no recent evidence of that.The American people may have no interest in Europe, but our foreign policy establishment still displays a strong interest, because that is one way in which US power is projected around the globe.
Googling Obama insults British would probably lead you there.What exactly were those inappropriate responses?
It seems that theory collapses, because the French and everyone else doesnt trust the German and Polish with handling worldpower.
In fact not even the Germans trust themselves with worldpower.
There is no recent evidence of that.
Wrong. There's all kinds of evidence for it.
Front National was founded by Vichy veterans and the party had an antisemetic line throughout it`s long history.
The FPÖ was even founded by SS veterans, regulary denies the holocaust and produces politicians who publicly show their symathy to the former nazi regime.
And Jobbik is pritty much the worst of them all...
It literaly is an official nazi party.
I listened to that video and one point stood out. That party did not rise until there was a financial crisis. When the global economic model fails to provide properly for people, they become frustrated and angry. At that time, they are ripe for such exploitation. When people can't properly care for their families, they will feel powerless. Groups with a extreme racial, ethnic, and nationalists messages can then step in and promise to fill the void that people feel in their lives. Even here in the US, you have people like the Five Percenters and Aryan nation. There message is wicked and twisted. I am so tired of hearing such nonsense. A few weeks ago this guy was talking all this sort of nonsense to me about black this and black that. I listened because I didn't want to offend him, but in my mind, I have become so tired of hearing such false rhetoric, no matter what the source. People are human and we all have faults. No one has any reason to be full of false hubris.
Can you support that assertion with some facts?
Placing a “boot on the throat” of BP
Yeah well, I see it more as a destinctive European curse or illness that the US doesnt suffer from.
As soon as living standerds go down here in Europe, people become nazis or communists.
I think they just want to return into the reactionary 19th century nationalism which plungded this continent into it`s 2 greatest catastrophies.
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