Information Agency: Radosław Sikorski – Minister of abroad Affairs of the Republic of Poland, translated the text of his wife Anne Applebaum – an influential American journalist, published in the magazine "The Atlantic". We invitation you to read this material.
Radosław Sikorski: “Dear State! In the American magazine The Atlantic, the text by Anne Applebaum – my wife, explaining why many Western European diplomats' approaches to the Russian Federation ruled by Vladimir Putin – the President, have failed. The minute I compose these words (I admit with pride), the article is the most popular text on the writing page, it is spoken about a lot, and it was publically commented by Jake Sullivan – National safety Advisor Joe Biden – president of the United States of America. I thought it was worth to introduce this article to Polish readers. Below you will find a translation.”, wrote Radosław Sikorski, Minister of abroad Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
Home
Why is the diplomatic efforts of Western Europe towards the Russian Federation inactive failing?
The fundamental deficiency of imagination of American and European leaders led the planet to the brink of war.
Oh, I envy Liz Truss her chance! Oh, I'm so sorry she didn't usage her! If you do not know who you are talking about, I explain that Liz Truss is simply a insignificant abroad minister of the United Kingdom of large Britain and Northern Ireland who went to Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation, to tell his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country should not invade Ukraine.
How do the Russians humiliate and underestimate politicians from another countries?
The expedition was not a success. At the icy, in tone, press conference of Sergei Lavrov – Minister of abroad Affairs of the Russian Federation compared their conversation to the discussion of "the mute" with "the deaf". Later – adding any more fuel to the fire – allowed the press to leak information that Liz Truss had confused certain Russian regions with Ukrainians.
Sergei Lavrow has done this many times. In 2024 he behaved in a despicable way towards Josep Borrell, liable for the European Union's abroad policy. He is unpleasant at global conferences and rude to journalists. There's no case in his behavior. For Sergei Lavrov, as for Vladimir Putin – president of the Russian Federation, aggression and sarcasm are tools for demonstrating contempt, for the interviewer, to present negotiations as pointless before they begin, to induce fear and apathy. The point is to push another diplomats into defensive action, or to make them go distant with disgust.
Why are Sergei Lavrow and Vladimir Putin acting in contempt?
The fact that Sergei Lavrow – Minister of abroad Affairs of the Russian Federation behaves in a disdainful and unpleasant way, however, is nothing new. Like the fact that Vladimir Putin – president of the Russian Federation, for hours, tells abroad leaders, about his individual and political claims. He did this more than 10 years ago erstwhile he first met Barack Obama – the then president of the United States of America; precisely the same thing he did now in a gathering with Emmanuel Macron – the president of the French Republic. Liz Truss – UK abroad Minister of large Britain and Northern Ireland should have known all about it.
What should Liz Truss do?
Liz Truss, alternatively of serving empty clichés about rules and values, could start a press conference like this:
Hello, representatives and media. I am happy to join you after gathering with my Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrow. This time we did not bother to discuss treaties that he would not respect and the promises he would not keep.
We told him that the invasion of Ukraine would entail very, very advanced costs – higher than he had always imagined. We are presently planning to halt Russian gas exports completely – Europe will look for energy sources elsewhere. We are preparing to aid the Ukrainian resistance, we will give it, for a decade, if necessary. We increase support for Russian opposition and Russian media 4 times. We want to make certain that the Russians hear the fact about this invasion as loud as possible. If you want to change power in Ukraine, we'll start working on a change of power in the Russian Federation.
How did Liz Truss and Josep Borrell Fontelles endure individual insults?
Liz Truss – Minister of abroad Affairs of the United Kingdom of large Britain and Northern Ireland, and before her Josep Borrell Fontelles – advanced typical of the Union for abroad Affairs and safety Policy, could add a hint of individual insult, in the kind of Sergei Lavrov himself, and ask how it is possible that the authoritative wage of Siegiej Lavrov is adequate to keep the lavish properties that his household in London, the capital of the United Kingdom of large Britain and Northern Ireland, where prices belong to the highest in the world.
Liz Truss – United Kingdom abroad Minister of large Britain and Northern Ireland could name many another Russian government officials sending their children to schools in Paris (France) or Lugano (Italy). She could announce that these children—all—are now on their way home, along with her parents: No more American schools in the Swiss Confederation! No more flats in Knightsbridge! No more boats in the Mediterranean!
What is incorrect reasoning of Western European politicians?
Of course, Liz Truss – like Josep Borrell, like Emmanuel Macron, like Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of the national Republic of Germany who flew to Moscow – would never say anything like that, even in a private conversation. Unfortunately, Western European leaders and diplomats, trying to prevent the Russian Federation from invading Ukraine at the moment, inactive believe that they live in a planet where rules are important, where diplomatic protocol applies, where polite words are valued.
They all think that erstwhile they go to the Russian Federation, they talk to people whose opinions can be changed through arguments or through debate. They think that the Russian elite cares about things like "reputation". He doesn't care.
How do the next generation autocrats stand out?
In fact, erstwhile we talk to fresh generation autocrats, whether in the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela or the muslim Republic of Iran (pers. جمهوری ايران ), we are dealing with a completely different phenomenon: people who are not curious in treaties and documents, people who respect only hard power. The Russian Federation breaks the Budapest Memorandum signed in 1994, guaranteeing the safety of Ukraine.
Has anyone always heard Vladimir Putin talk about it? Of course not. Nor does he care about his reputation as a trustworthy man: lying keeps his opponents in doubt. Sergei Lavrow is besides fine with being hated due to the fact that hatred gives the impression of strength.
How do the intentions of the next generation autocrats disagree from another politicians?
The intentions of the next generation autocrats are different from Western European Poles. Vladimir Putin's goal is not a thriving, peaceful, prosperous Russian Federation, but a state in which he is in power. The goal of Sergei Lavrow is to keep a position in the dark planet of the Russian elite and, of course, preserve the estate. What we mean by "interests" and what they mean by "interests" are 2 different matters. erstwhile they perceive to our diplomats, they don't hear anything that truly threatens their position, their power, their individual success.
What is the hypocrisy of Western European politicians?
Despite all our announcements, no 1 seriously tried to halt laundering Russian money in Western Europe or Russian political and financial influences in the West. At least we're limiting them.
No 1 took seriously the proposals saying that the national Republic of Germany should now become independent of Russian gas, that the French Republic should legalize political parties, taking Russian money, or that the United Kingdom of large Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America should halt Russian oligarchs, from buying real property in London (England) or Miami (a city in Florida, USA). No 1 suggested that the correct consequence to Vladimir Putin's information war with our political strategy would be an information war against his system.
Are we on the verge of a possibly catastrophic conflict?
Now we're on the verge of a possibly catastrophic conflict. The embassies of the United States of America, the United Kingdom of large Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union countries in Ukraine are being evacuated; citizens are being encouraged to leave.
But this terrifying minute is not just proof of the failure of diplomacy. It besides shows the failure of the Western imagination, the long-standing reluctance of diplomats, politicians, journalists and intellectuals to realize what the state is becoming and to prepare for this change. We did not want to see the representatives of this country as they truly are. We did not want to talk to them in a way that could bring results. Now it might be besides late.
Anne Applebaum
Anne Elizabeth Applebaum-Sikorska is an American-Polish journalist, Pulitzer Prize laureate, in the category "General nonfiction" (2004 – American award, awarded for outstanding achievements in journalism, beautiful literature and music), writer of the magazine "The Atlantic". She has written many books, including “Twilight of Democracy. The deceptive attraction of authoritarianism" (2020).
What did Anne Applebaum's education look like?
Anne Applebaum was born to an American household of judaic descent, as the daughter of Harvey M. and Elizabeth Applebaums. After graduating from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., she entered Yale University, where she studied the past of the Union of russian Socialist Republics (now the Russian Federation), under Wolfgang Leonhard, a erstwhile German communist. In 1986, Anne Applebaum obtained a bachelor's degree from past and literature at Yale University, followed by a master's degree in global relations at the London School of Economics in 1987.
How was Anne Applebaum's journalistic career?
Anne Applebaum began her career as a writer by becoming a correspondent for the British weekly “The Economist” in Warsaw in 1988. She later worked as the editor of the abroad department and later as the deputy editor-in-chief of the weekly "The Spectator" in London. During the 1997 British electoral campaign, she was besides the political editor of Evening Standard. For respective years she ran the column “Foreigners” in the online magazine “Slate”, taken over in 2004 by The Washington Post Company. From 2002 to 2006, she was a associate of the editorial college "The Washington Post". He is the task manager under the name "Transitions Forum" (political and economical change) at the Think Tank Legatum Institute.
What awards did Anne Applebaum receive?
Anne Applebaum for the book "Between East & West" (between East and West) received, in 1996, the Adolph Bentinck Award. For her book “Gulag”, she received the Pulitzer Prize in 2004. In 2011, together with Danielle Crittenden, she published the cookbook “Provisions From My Garden”. In 2018, she received the Cundill Prize, for her historical book “Behind the Iron Curtain. Seizing east Europe 1944–1956". In 2024 she received the German Bookmakers' Peace Prize and the honorary doctorate of Marie Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin.
What is Anne Applebaum's individual life like?
In 1992 Anne Applebaum married Radosław Sikorski – a Polish politician who at the time advised press magnate Rupert Murdoch and represented the interests of the news corp in Poland. In 2013, she gained Polish citizenship.
Thank you for reading the text to the end. We urge another articles published on the website agency-information.com
Information Agency, opinions /DEC/ 22.02.2025, source: Radosław Sikorski Facebook
