https://youtu.be/VAv-Bv8tqsA
“The European Union and NATO are two key instruments in the development and integration of postwar Europe,” said Dr. Filipe Luis Vasconcelos—visiting professor at the School of Management and Social Sciences at Universidad ORT Uruguayduring the conference “The European Union, NATO, and Ukraine.”
The event took place online on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. It was organized by the Department of International Studies.
The Classical Wars
We are witnessing a return to conventional warfare.
“This return is taking place more than 70 years after the end of World War II. What we are facing today in Europe is effectively a war of invasion, a war in which one country is attempting to dominate and control part of a neighboring country’s territory,” Vasconcelos said.
According to the expert, the current tension between Russia and Ukraine began in 2004. “Until then, Ukraine had been led by figures close to Moscow. After intense pressure and allegations of electoral fraud, elections were held, and Viktor Yushchenko was declared president in 2005. His platform focused on Ukraine’s independence, on ties with the European Union, and eventually with NATO and the West.”
In 2012, Vladimir Putin assumed the office of President of Russia. “Putin gained significant popularity. He helped restore purchasing power and, in doing so, consolidated his position both domestically and internationally.”
In 2013–2014, tensions peaked again “with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between then-President Viktor Yanukovych and the European Union, which was rejected by the Kremlin. It was in this context that Putin decided to seize Crimea and annex it as a new region of Russia. This led to sanctions from the West.”
Russia and Ukraine
“This sort of courtship between Ukraine and the West provided a pretext for Putin’s intervention and an escalation in Moscow’s rhetoric toward Ukraine,” Vasconcelos noted.
The West made a major miscalculation by failing to take into account that Russia is, in fact, a power that operates in the 21st century with a 19th-century mindset.
“This intervention took the world—and Europe—by surprise, and runs counter to current global policy. It constitutes a clear violation of international law and of the agreements established after World War II, which provided a more stable framework for the world.”
We are at a pivotal moment for the future of Europe in the coming years.
Vasconcelos concluded: “This threat to the European context served to strengthen the relationship between European partners and the United States. The big question is whether we are facing something merely temporary or whether we are witnessing a philosophical and strategic shift in Europe in terms of security, defense, and the restructuring of NATO.”