The meaning of Europe

April 2024

Abstract:
Vladimir Putin went to war with Europe, and has removed his country from the idea of Europe. It will not turn out well for him or for Russia.

So what is Europe, really? Partly a place, yes. But Europe since 1945 is something that Russia never became a part of: an assembly of nearly fifty close neighbors who have decided to deal respectfully with one another. Whether or not a European country is in the European Union, whether or not it is in the NATO defensive pact, the common European spirit since 1945 is one of cooperation, democracy and fair dealings with all of one's neighbors. While European countries may – and do – engage in disputes with one another, no European country will again attack its neighbor. This spirit defines Europe better than any lines drawn on a map, and it is this spirit that sharply separates it from the imperialistic ambitions of Putin's Russia. Europe has matured; "Putinia" has not.

When the Soviet Union was dissolved just after Christmas in 1991, hope shone bright in the hearts of Russians and the other nationalities that made up the USSR, as well as throughout Europe. Russia, the unpredictable bear of the east that had brutalized eastern Europe since 1945, would finally open up to the world, would tear down the "iron curtain" that separated it from mainstream Europe, would establish normal relations with all peace-loving nations, and would even – so one hoped – institute a normal democratic government based in law and respect for human rights.

Alas, Mr. Yeltsin was not the right man for the job. Although he spoke some fair words, by his drunkenness and Soviet-grounded outlook on the use of power he was lured into hiring a KGB operative as his right hand man. But the clever and amoral operative soon out-foxed Mr. Yeltsin, was made head of the KGB/FSB, got access to Yeltsin's files, and before the Russian people quite knew what had happened, Mr. Yeltsin was retired with a promise of official pardon for his many past crimes, the operative Vladimir Putin was president of Russia and, in short order, effectively president for life. "Order" had returned to the land of Stalin.

It soon became clear that Mr. Putin had no interest in joining the spirit of Europe. His notion of a state was that of his childhood hero, Josef Stalin: allowing no dissent, the strong leader imposes his will on the nation. He also does what is necessary to stay in power. Domestic opponents are enemies to be liquidated. Neighboring countries are opportunities for domination and expansion of "Putinia". Democracy to him is a false god. Russia never participated in the Reformation that liberated much of Europe from domination by the Roman clergy and brought forth rebellious thoughts of freedom and eventually liberal democracy. Putin clings to the Orthodox church that supports his throwback to the times of his youth, when Russia was counted a world power on the basis of threats of international violence.

So what is Europe today? On current maps, "Europe" is seen to reach east to the Ural Mountains that separate "European" Russia from its far larger Asian part. But that map is no longer relevant, because Putin has by his actions pulled Russia out of its tenuous association with Europe. The Europe of today reaches to the Russian border, and no further. If you travel into Russia, you know you're no longer in Europe – the spirit of Europe does not prevail. The spirit of Putin does, where you can be thrown in jail, be sent to a penal colony, or simply be killed for the crime of disagreeing with "Emperor" Vlad.

Putin removed himself from Europe in 2014 when, taking advantage of unrest in Ukraine and violating every international norm and law – along with Russia's oath to its UN partners – he seized a large swath of that neighboring country, including the peninsula of Crimea. President Yanukovych of Ukraine had been accused of crimes and had fled to Russia, and Putin claimed that his takeover of eastern Ukraine was at the request of the "legitimate president" of Ukraine, i.e., Yanukovych (who would later deny this). But without a functioning administration, Ukraine was not in a position to effectively resist Putin's takeover. Eventually, as we know too well, Putin attempted to seize all of Ukraine by a full-scale genocidal invasion in February of 2022, which now has morphed into a campaign of wanton destruction, sealing the world's judgement of him as an international pariah, an outcast. His exit from Europe has by that act been made permanent.

The map of Europe should now look like this (courtesy Google Maps), and I make a serious proposal to our map-makers to make this correction. (No borders are changed in this rendition.)

Russia does not belong in Europe, and it never has. It had the chance in the early 1990's to become European, but Putin torpedoed that effort and dragged his country back into the early 20th century, where he feels more at home. Russia (or "Putinia") belongs to an earlier age, where his traditional "strong man rule" was the rule. Russia is the archetype "Eurasian" country, spanning several civilizations and not feeling comfortable in any, least of all in the European. Let Russia mature, let its culture develop as it must, and perhaps some day it may become a democratic, law-respecting country that may be considered for inclusion in Europe.

So, what of Russia's future and its relations with Europe? It's impossible to see any improvement until Putin is out of the picture, gone wherever failed autocrats go. He will eventually be chased out of Ukraine, or will first be deposed by the Russian people, many of whom have had more than enough of his crimes. Putin and Russia will be charged heavily with reparations. But the onus falls on the community of freedom-loving nations: It is vital for the future of international justice that we support Ukraine's fight for freedom with all possible means, and not tire until their fight for freedom, independence, and secure national borders is assured, because Putin's taste for blood will never be satisfied. If he wins in Ukraine – if he wins a single meter – the only question will be, which nation does he attack next? Because his aim is clear: he is rebuilding the Soviet Union. Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova ... Now is the time to stop the madman. It may be now or never.