Do Not Ask for Whom the Bell Tolls

Українська версія матеріалу доступна за посиланням "Не питай, по кому подзвін"

It would be a great misconception to think that the Kremlin's aggression is focused exclusively on Ukraine. This is not the first time our state has been the target of Russian armed aggression, but this time its scale has been strikingly significant, which only underscores the criminal nature of Putin's designs.

Russia's war against Ukraine is in its eighth year, but since the end of February 2022, the masks have been finally thrown off.

What Vladimir Putin called a "special military operation" is in fact a full-scale war involving artillery, missiles, aircraft, and tanks. The invasion has not been an easy walk for Russia; on the contrary, the aggressor is suffering heavy losses.

Opposition to Russia continues on the diplomatic front as well, which is why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application for accession to the European Union, which was positively received in the European Parliament. Paradoxically, but the Russian invasion gave a strong impetus to the European integration of our state, emphasizing its European identity. Of course, a substantive conversation about Ukraine's accession to the European Union will begin after the war, but the EU's humanitarian aid is helping Ukraine significantly. The European Commission has allocated 500 million euros to help Ukrainian refugees, who are now over a million.

It is noteworthy that Georgia and Moldova decided to submit their applications for EU membership on March 3.

At first glance, it is not surprising, because together with Ukraine, these countries formed in May 2021 the Associated Trio, which aims to accelerate European integration. The three countries mentioned above turned out to be the active half of the Eastern Partnership, so they did not hide their own ambitions.

THERE IS ONE NUANCE: GEORGIA AND MOLDOVA DID NOT JOIN THE EU SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA, WHICH WERE IMPOSED AFTER FEBRUARY 24.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that joining the sanctions was not in the economic interests of Georgia, 20% of whose territory was occupied by Russia in 2008. The voice of official Tbilisi was quickly heard in Moscow and restrictions on the export of Georgian dairy products were demonstratively lifted. A very revealing fact. Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that 250,000 refugees were accepted on Moldovan territory. Although the UN is more reticent about the number of Ukrainian citizens, their presence in Moldova has become a factor in domestic politics. The unrecognized Moldovan Republic of Transnistria decided against this background to demand recognition of its independence. The Russian secret services are undermining the situation inside Moldova, skillfully inflating the existing contradictions.

Every day that Ukraine resists increases the likelihood that Georgia or Moldova will become a kind of "compensator" for the Kremlin's ambitions to inflate the conflict on a continental scale by continuing the "Union restoration" process initiated by Putin. Therefore, Kishinev and Tbilisi should not wonder for whom the bell tolls, but rather focus on practical manifestations of solidarity with Ukraine, adding to them a willingness to restore their own territorial integrity.

Photo: ukrainian.voanews.com