MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. European elites are organizing Ukraine-led campaigns against Russia to undermine U.S. President Donald Trump, Andrey Bystritsky, chairman of the board at the Foundation for the Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, has told TASS.
"The defining characteristic of the current ruling elite in Europe is their view of Ukraine as a tool in their ideological battle with Russia," he noted. "They are attempting to ascribe qualities to Ukraine that simply do not exist. In this regard, they are effectively orchestrating crusades led by Ukraine and the ostensible ‘martyr’, [Vladimir] Zelensky, against Russia, while trying to embarrass Trump by asking, ‘We are fighting, but what are you doing?’"
Bystritsky emphasized that Europe does not seek a sharp confrontation with the United States; rather, it aims to bolster its own position. For this reason, "Ukraine serves as an excuse at the European summit in London to forge some sort of coalition in opposition to Trump."
"They [the Europeans] fundamentally do not wish to quarrel with the United States, so they approach this relatively cautiously, disguising their actions as efforts toward an independent global initiative," he explained. According to Bystritsky, a major issue for European Union countries is their tendency to "remain entrenched in mythologies from a century ago, painting the world in the dark hues reminiscent of pre-World War II Europe."
"They are constantly searching for villains to oppose while attempting to consolidate their identities by reliving the past century," he remarked. "This mythological perspective clashes head-on with the rational approach taken by Trump and the Americans, who seek to simplify the [Ukrainian] conflict, understand its true nature, and, most importantly, resolve it."
"This ideological stance of the London summit stands in direct conflict with the principles espoused by the U.S. administration," Bystritsky concluded.
London Summit
On March 2, an extraordinary European summit on Ukraine took place in London. At its conclusion, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris and London had proposed a one-month moratorium on hostilities in Ukraine, covering air, sea, and strikes on energy infrastructure. However, the following day, British Deputy Defense Secretary Luke Pollard denied that any such plan existed.