EU has no alternative than to cooperate with Russia

Yesterday the leaders of the 28 countries of the European Union announced as the result of the first day of the summit that the sanctions against Russia are related to the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. However, as TASS' European source explained, the statement of the EU summit is not a decision to extend the sanctions. "The decision to extend the regime of sectoral restrictive measures against Russia will be made in June, after analyzing the situation in the conflict zone in Ukraine. The summit's declaration is a political signal that demonstrates the willingness of the EU to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreement. There is o doubt that this common position will affect the discussion on the extension of sanctions at the next EU summit in June, but it does not prejudge any decisions of the next meeting of the heads of state," the diplomat said.However, the chief editor of the portal 'Russian Peacekeeper', Eugene Belsky, believes that dialogue between Russia and the EU is at an impasse. "Now interaction among civic society is necessary. What is happening in Europe now is not in the interests of ordinary Europeans, owners of olive groves in Greece, owners of factories in Italy. The Europeans have to ask themselves what their national interests are," Belsky thinks.According to him, the national interests of the state are to ensure the normal life of citizens, in maintaining high standards of living. "If civic society in Russia and abroad will be able to think about it, then the rest can get the ball rolling. A constructive approach to solving the problem is in the national interests of Europe, in the interests of the civic societies of European states.A few people ask what is interesting for Russia? How to establish a dialogue with it? Many politicians in Europe are captives of stereotypes. They see Russia, if not as a junior partner, then at least as a partner to whom one can dictate one's will. And here some European partners agree with us that this time has already passed, so one way or another, after a confrontation, Europe sooner or later will come to the conclusion that it needs to negotiate with Russia," the expert believes.One of the areas of negotiations between Russia and the EU remains gas. Now the EU wishes to form an energy alliance that must confront Russia's position as a major energy exporter to Europe and to make the EU more volatile. At the summit in Brussels "all the leaders agreed to strengthen the transparency of the gas market so that suppliers were not able to abuse their positions, so they have not been able to violate EU legislation and reduce the energy security of the Union," the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk said.However, the Russian energy industry has been facing problems of business development in the European market for several years. The story associated with the South Stream gas pipeline led to the strategy of Russia on the European gas market changing completely. "Russia no longer pretends to go to the European market to the level of end user. The current strategy assumes that the gas will be delivered to the border of the EU and further distributed by the European Union. In this situation, the introduction of a single partner for Gazprom and for Russia at the EU will not change anything. Russia has already prepared for such a solution. It makes no difference how the Europeans would want to "win" dependence on gas supplies from Russia, they anyhow have no viable alternative.

Yesterday the leaders of the 28 countries of the European Union announced as the result of the first day of the summit that the sanctions against Russia are related to the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. However, as TASS' European source explained, the statement of the EU summit is not a decision to extend the sanctions. "The decision to extend the regime of sectoral restrictive measures against Russia will be made in June, after analyzing the situation in the conflict zone in Ukraine. The summit's declaration is a political signal that demonstrates the willingness of the EU to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreement. There is o doubt that this common position will affect the discussion on the extension of sanctions at the next EU summit in June, but it does not prejudge any decisions of the next meeting of the heads of state," the diplomat said.

However, the chief editor of the portal 'Russian Peacekeeper', Eugene Belsky, believes that dialogue between Russia and the EU is at an impasse. "Now interaction among civic society is necessary. What is happening in Europe now is not in the interests of ordinary Europeans, owners of olive groves in Greece, owners of factories in Italy. The Europeans have to ask themselves what their national interests are," Belsky thinks.

According to him, the national interests of the state are to ensure the normal life of citizens, in maintaining high standards of living. "If civic society in Russia and abroad will be able to think about it, then the rest can get the ball rolling. A constructive approach to solving the problem is in the national interests of Europe, in the interests of the civic societies of European states.

A few people ask what is interesting for Russia? How to establish a dialogue with it? Many politicians in Europe are captives of stereotypes. They see Russia, if not as a junior partner, then at least as a partner to whom one can dictate one's will. And here some European partners agree with us that this time has already passed, so one way or another, after a confrontation, Europe sooner or later will come to the conclusion that it needs to negotiate with Russia," the expert believes.
One of the areas of negotiations between Russia and the EU remains gas. Now the EU wishes to form an energy alliance that must confront Russia's position as a major energy exporter to Europe and to make the EU more volatile. At the summit in Brussels "all the leaders agreed to strengthen the transparency of the gas market so that suppliers were not able to abuse their positions, so they have not been able to violate EU legislation and reduce the energy security of the Union," the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk said.

However, the Russian energy industry has been facing problems of business development in the European market for several years. The story associated with the South Stream gas pipeline led to the strategy of Russia on the European gas market changing completely. "Russia no longer pretends to go to the European market to the level of end user. The current strategy assumes that the gas will be delivered to the border of the EU and further distributed by the European Union. In this situation, the introduction of a single partner for Gazprom and for Russia at the EU will not change anything. Russia has already prepared for such a solution. It makes no difference how the Europeans would want to "win" dependence on gas supplies from Russia, they anyhow have no viable alternative.