What is sovereignty? Let’s start with the basic definition. It’s the authority of a state to govern itself, make own choices, make own policies, without being subjected to any kind of coercion.
Keep that definition in mind, and now see this: EU has warned Serbia that its bid to join the bloc may falter if Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visits Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations as planned on May 9.
You know, Russia is a holding a massive military parade in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s 1945 triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II. Why Serbia wants to join the parade? Because when it was occupied by the Nazis, the Red Army had come to its rescue. There’s a historical connection. But EU thugs are now going bonkers over Vucic’s planned visit to Moscow.
European Commission or the EC Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos met with Vucic on Tuesday and warned that his presence in Moscow would be held against Serbia’s EU aspirations. A spokesperson for the EC said, “The participation of President Vucic at the military parade in Moscow will impact Belgrade’s EU accession process.”
Woah! So much for EU’s democratic values. While the EU shamelessly encroaches upon Serbia’s sovereignty, interestingly Austria’s most popular leader has fired back at EU. Dominik Nepp, who is the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria, has called EU’s action as “blackmailing” and “unacceptable”. Nepp said the pressure by the EU was being exerted because Belgrade doesn’t support “the failed policy of the EU, but takes care of the interests of Serbia and its citizens.”
He compared EU’s attitude towards Vucic to that towards Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. Erdogan is waging war against the Kurds in his country, and has not even thought about sanctions against Russia but he still enjoys all the freedom. Why different standards for Serbia? The hypocrisy of this European Union is becoming increasingly unbearable.
This blackmail by EU is not new. Two years back, the head of Serbia’s intel agency had to step down because of extreme pressure from EU and the Biden White House.
Aleksandar Vulin had to resign as the head of the Security Information Agency or the BIA. Vulin later revealed the United States and the European Union “are asking for my head as a precondition for not imposing sanctions on Serbia”.
Before going after Vulin, the US Treasury department imposed sanctions on him and accused him of being corrupt. The US government in a statement said back then, “He has used his public positions to support Russia, facilitating Russia’s malign activities that degrade the security and stability of the Western Balkans and providing Russia a platform to further its influence in the region”.
You see, it was about Russia, Russia, Russia yet again.
EU keeps forgetting that nations in eastern Europe have a history with Russia, a glorified history that these nations want to cherish.
One of them is Slovakia. Its Prime Minister Robert Fico issued a statement last year that EU must keep in mind. Fico said, “The Slovak government values the legacy of the fight against fascism, the historical truth about World War II and the role played by the Red Army in it. That is why the Slovak government will organize a number of events, the most important of which will be the celebration of the victory over fascism in May.”
Remember: The Soviets helped defeat the Nazis. That’s history, not propaganda. If Slovakia and Serbia want to cherish this chapter of history with Russia, thugs in EU must respect that.
