Putin denounced the "Russophobia" of European countries and the "xenophobia" of the Baltic states, and criticized Ukraine for glorifying the SS. He noted that while Hitler was gone, Nazism remained. Putin believes that European countries have inconsistent attitudes towards the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the United States is taking advantage of this difference. He also mentioned that Europe's overdependence on Russian energy has led to a "winter risk" after the Nord Stream pipelines are bombed, while India is making a lot of money by quickly reselling oil. Putin called on Europe to reflect on its behavior and put Russia in perspective. Putin's speech commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the defense of Leningrad has aroused widespread attention and controversy. His remarks once again revealed the tension and complexity of Russian-European relations. But should we see it as just a façade of a political battle? Should we think deeply about the reasons and implications behind this?
First of all, we need to correctly understand the "Russophobia" of European countries and the "xenophobia" of the Baltic countries. The formation of these mentalities is not accidental, but stems from deep-seated problems left over from history. Over the past few centuries, Russia has repeatedly invaded and controlled the territory of its neighbors, bringing great threats and harm to European countries. Even in modern times, Russia's actions are often interpreted as interference and violation of sovereignty against its neighbors. Therefore, the fears and vigilance of European countries about Russia are well-founded. However, Putin's criticism of Ukraine for glorifying the SS and the Baltic states for labeling the Russian minority as "second-class" does have a certain bias and discrimination. Historically, the SS was Hitler's private army and was involved in the atrocities and war crimes of Nazi Germany. Ukraine's praise of the SS has sparked widespread criticism from the international community, which is also of concern to Putin.
In addition, Putin pointed out the existence of Nazism and the inconsistent attitude of European countries to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Nazism, as an extreme ideology, is destructive and dangerous. Although Hitler is gone, the roots and effects of Nazism remain. European countries do have differences and contradictions in the face of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Some countries have stronger support for Ukraine, while others have taken a more neutral stance. This inconsistent attitude not only challenges European unity, but also creates opportunities for interference by other countries. Putin also stressed that Europe's excessive dependence on Russian energy has led to a "risk of a cold winter" after the Nord Stream pipelines are bombed. Energy issues have always been one of the focuses of European countries, especially natural gas. Russia is one of the major energy countries in Europe, but at the same time, there is also the problem of dependence on Russia.
The blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines has exposed the fragility of this dependence and has also put European countries at risk of inadequacy and energy security. However, Putin contrasted India's rapid oil reselling with Europe's energy dependence, suggesting that European countries are mishandling the energy issue. India is one of the world's largest oil importers, and its demand for oil is very strong. India has made a good profit by buying low-priced oil and exporting it. On the one hand, this phenomenon illustrates the fierce competition in the energy market, and on the other hand, it also hints at the possible blind spots and shortcomings of European countries in energy issues. In general, Putin's speech revealed the tension and complexity of Russian-European relations. European countries' concern and vigilance about Russia have their historical reasons and practical basis, but there are also problems of prejudice and discrimination. The presence of Nazism and the inconsistent attitude of European countries to the Russia-Ukraine conflict have challenged European unity and created opportunities for other countries to intervene.
Energy Issues: Russia's Threat: Europe's Weakness and DilemmaWhen it comes to Russia, European countries often show a mood of fear. They seem to see Russia as a public enemy, constantly watching and monitoring it. But is there really a good reason for this fear? Perhaps, the weakness of the European countries themselves played a role in this. First of all, let's take a look at the relations between European countries and Russia. In fact, the fear of Russia in European countries is mainly based on some illusory threats. They fear that Russia could invade other countries and destabilize the region. However, in fact, Russia does not pose a direct threat to European countries. Over the past few decades, Russia has not launched any military aggression against European countries. On the contrary, European countries themselves face more pressing problems, such as energy dependence and declining industrial competitiveness. The energy problem is a huge challenge for European countries.
Currently, European countries are very dependent on Russian gas. According to the International Energy Agency, one-third of European countries' gas imports come from Russia. This makes European countries very vulnerable in terms of energy ** and vulnerable to Russian influence. At the same time, European countries are gradually declining their own energy production and are unable to meet their growing energy needs. Thus, the fear of Russia in European countries stems in part from the problem of their own energy dependence. In addition, the industrial competitiveness of European countries is also facing enormous challenges. Russia, as a country with huge resources and markets, is gradually emerging as a global manufacturing power. The manufacturing industry chain of European countries is constantly moving eastward, seeking a lower-cost production environment. This has put the industry of European countries under enormous competitive pressure, making it difficult to compete with Russian manufacturing.
Therefore, the fear of Russia in European countries is also partly due to the decline in the competitiveness of their own industries. However, despite the fact that European countries are partly afraid of Russia due to their own weakness, they have to continue to support Ukraine. This is because European countries believe that if they do not support Ukraine, Russia may expand its influence there, further exacerbating instability in the region. In addition, European countries also need to show Ukraine their respect for international law and territorial integrity in order to protect their own reputation and interests. The United States, on the other hand, is adept at exploiting this mentality of European countries. Recently, the United States began lobbying European countries to preach its determination to assist Ukraine. The United States believes that by supporting Ukraine, they can weaken Russia's influence in the region and establish its own leadership among European countries. The United States has also used the Ukraine crisis to put pressure on European countries to increase their military support for NATO in order to strengthen deterrence against Russia.
However, should European countries blindly follow the leadership of the United States? Should they see Russia as a public enemy, and not as a partner? These are all questions worth pondering. In fact, there are many opportunities for cooperation between European countries and Russia, such as energy cooperation, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges. By strengthening cooperation with Russia, European countries will be able to improve their own energy** and industrial competitiveness and achieve common development. At the same time, through dialogue and negotiation, European countries can also ease tensions with Russia and maintain regional peace and stability. In short, the fear of Russia in European countries stems in part from their own weakness. They are afraid of the Russian threat, but in fact, Russia does not pose a direct threat to European countries. On the contrary, European countries themselves face the problem of energy and industrial competitiveness. However, due to the fear of Russia, European countries.