Aleks
pre 14 godina
Grettle's comments are hilarious. But that is the internet for you.
So far these are just words from Clinton. I've yet to see real actions or pressure. I guess it is just US counter propaganda to Medvyedev's recent visit..
Still, the EU's Balkan Stability Pact is dead in the water without Serbia, if that is the price the Dutch are willing to pay.
Serbia remains the most geographically strategic location in the Balkans, the shortest trade route between Europe and Asia. No words can change this. A strong Serbia can pull up its neighbors (the hopelessly corrupt Bg & Ro) but not whilst it remains outside the EU. It is agreements between neighboring states that are most important in dealing with such problems.
That the US is building more bases in Bg & Ro is just part of it cementing its access to the Black Sea and projection of power and control over energy routes, as long as Bulgarian and Romanian politicians and citizens remain passive and/or can be bought off.
More importantly, the US' relationship with Turkey, considered the cornerstone of NATO have plummeted since the first gulf war and in particular since the second when it refused to allow its territory for the US invasion of Iraq. Like Japan, the US is having trouble when its allies don't jump any more when they are being told to jump.
The same is true of Germany, despite the brief love-in in the mid-90s, Germany's strategic vision that is adopted by almost the whole of its political class is to build a deep strategic and economic relationship with Russia despite the all the squealing from Pl and the Balts on the US' behalf.
This is no longer the 90's. The EU and US need Serbia, hence the quite significant effort, in the EU's case deliberately intervening in the sovereign affairs of Serbia's political process to make sure that Tadic and co. are elected.
It's not just democracy, it has to be the 'right kind' of democracy. Just like human rights, some are more equal than others (btw, the EU has now lifted all sanctions against Uzebekistan since the Andijan massacre and got nothing in return. The US is following a similar policy as both need Uzebkistan's help in Afghanistan and the prospect of failure and spill over there are serious.
So, the strategic balance has been and still is shifting away from the West. Even so solid ally Japan is no longer keen to play a subservient role to the US. Times are a changin'. Whinge and complain as much as you want, but there's nothing you can do about it. The West blew all its credit post-Cold War, not to mention its economic 'expertize'. A brave new world indeed.
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