
A critical
viewview
Europe is a plain swept by the uncertainty of war. Bajmut, barely a cartographic reference, renamed “meat grinder”. And the dictatorship of the daily life is measured by the price of tomatoes.
Europe is a project. Socially. Politically. Financially. A project that some consider finished, that others claim as the only way forward and that most are unaware of because of the limited scope of its politicians.
Europe is the flickering beacon of the West, a faded reminder of its colonial greatness barely preserved as a hinge between angry giants. And amidst all the turmoil, amidst all the noise, Bajmut continues to collect his pound of flesh.
The war is more than a year away, but a nuclear-tipped missile launched from Kaliningrad would just take four minutes to hit Madrid. The price of tomatoes is sky-high. The constant election campaign volatilised in less than 240 seconds.
At T&C we keep our taste for the deeper version of reality. Now that the spotlight of the war anniversary has been extinguished, we return to the fray. We share a speedy version of the critical view that a year ago led us to travel around Europe with various professors, thinkers and journalists.
Time has also taken its toll on them. Most of them have been lost in the infinite plain of the also infinite European project. And yet there they are, three voices that evoke the complex chorus of our times.
Project Manager
Xurxo Torres
RSC Coordinator
Georgina Leibovich
Editor
Georgina Leibovich
Research Team
Eva Rancho | Paula Mallén
Design and layout
Belén Rodríguez | Rosa López
Illustrations
Lasa Álvarez
A research from project Off to North for truth
TVE correspondent in Berlin for over 14 years. In 2022, he reminded us that Germany is very close to the war, as its connections with Russia cannot be found in any other European country. García is clear that the EU has a vital role to play in the war in Ukraine, as it represents the democracy that Putin fears. However, he believes that the stability of democracy is showing signs of erosion. For him, the key is to maintain the unity of the European Union.
I. Miguel
A.A. García
Former TVE Correspondent in Berlin

I. Miguel
A.A. García
Former TVE Correspondent in Berlin

TVE correspondent in Berlin for over 14 years. In 2022, he reminded us that Germany is very close to the war, as its connections with Russia cannot be found in any other European country. García is clear that the EU has a vital role to play in the war in Ukraine, as it represents the democracy that Putin fears. However, he believes that the stability of democracy is showing signs of erosion. For him, the key is to maintain the unity of the European Union.
"The war in Ukraine is so close and so dangerous that it is difficult to forget it"
We are getting used to war. Will it become another forgotten conflict?
It is clear that we have been getting used to the images of war. They no longer generate the panic of the early days, with a war that no one knew how it would affect us. But it will hardly become a forgotten conflict. Ukraine is not a small country on a huge continent like Africa or Asia. It is a country of considerable size and population on Europe’s doorstep. It is so close and so dangerous that we will hardly forget that there is a war in Ukraine, that this war can spread to the Baltic countries, to Moldova, even to Poland… Getting used to the images, to living with a war on your doorstep, is a must, even the Ukrainians have had to get used to it in order to survive. You cannot live with the adrenaline and panic of the first days. But while the war in Ukraine may become an entrenched conflict that will last for years, it will by no means become a forgotten conflict for Europeans. Could Putin’s Greater Russia dream take the conflict to other countries? My opinion of Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has not changed at all. In fact, it has been confirmed. Any judgement on Putin is pure speculation, as even the most powerful secret services seem unable to decipher his thoughts. But for all his unpredictability, he has become predictable. Driven by his desire for grandeur, it seems clear at this point that Putin misjudged the potential resistance of the Ukrainians. I am sure that if he had known how far Ukrainian opposition and NATO countries’ military and material assistance would go, he would not have invaded Ukraine. It has become clear that, regardless of the propaganda announcements of new hypersonic missiles, the Russian military is an obsolete, technically, militarily and morally ill-prepared army. Putin will probably choose to extend the conflict indefinitely in view of his inability to gain a foothold and consolidate his position in eastern Ukraine. His aim would be for Western countries to tire of sending aid to Ukraine, burdened by war inflation. But this may also work against it. Russia may follow the path that the USSR took: economic suffocation, tiredness and the exhaustion of the Russian civilian population that so far still supports this war.But beware: if Putin is cornered, he will surely opt for a forward flight, which means, attack elsewhere, in the Baltic countries, Moldova, in order to generate panic in Europe once again and aggravate the Europeans’ weariness and defeatism. It should not be forgotten that Putin despises the Europeans because he believes they are decadent, and on that basis, he can take aggressive decisions that could trigger a much bigger conflict than the current one, with Beijing’s blessing.
EU economic sanctions against Russia. Reality or pantomime?
The European sanctions are no pantomime, but neither have they been as effective as they were supposed to be. From Brussels and European governments, it was said that they would be devastating for Russia.
Obviously, they have not been. Putin had been preparing for decades for an autarky that has so far allowed him to save the furniture. It is very strange that we do not really know today what the real state of the Russian economy is. The media in Russia tell us that the Russians still mainly support Putin, that they are subjugated by the Kremlin’s propaganda. But they have forgotten to go out on the streets and tell us how much a kilo of tomatoes or potatoes or a loaf of bread is worth.
Therein lies the secret of Putin’s support. If, thanks to countries like Turkey, Iran or Israel, Putin manages to ensure that Russians can still eat relatively well and cheaply, then Europeans should think again about whether the current sanctions, which mainly affect so-called strategic sectors, are enough. The USSR did not fall because of the technological blockade, but because of the hunger of the population.
To what extent has Germany’s high energy dependence on Russia influenced the actions taken by the Olaf Scholz government to support Ukraine?
It is clear that until Germany has shaken off its dependence on Russian gas with the construction of the two liquid gas platforms, it has been very reluctant to send aid to Ukraine. The first shipment of German military equipment consisted of 5,000 helmets and boots. Some people were already crying foul. Then, little by little, more and more sophisticated military equipment was sent, until finally the Leopard 2 panzers were accepted.
A year later, Germany is fully committed to military aid, has lost its fear of Putin, perhaps because it has realised that for Putin the border is not at the Dnieper, but at the Elbe and the Spree in East Berlin. Germany will soon have LPG ports and is fast developing the hydrogen economy. It will be some time before the dependence on gas and oil is forgotten, but with the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines there is no turning back.
There are still some German businessmen nostalgic for the good business done with Russian oligarchs, but that market has been dead for many years. Germany has had to reinvent itself, and with it the whole of Europe.

A British-born journalist who has spent part of his career in Hungary. In fact, he holds both nationalities. A year ago, his view of the conflict brought a very different perspective to the Western media’s approach. For him, the EU is still not a relevant stakeholder in a conflict that he considers innocuous for the permanence of European democracies. All of them. For Duncan, there is not just one type of democracy as endorsed by the EU, but each country has its own particular “adaptation” of the democratic model. This is something he claims in particular for Eastern countries. He completes this unique perspective with a clear animosity towards Ukraine’s democratic quality. He says nothing about Russia’s.
II. Gav
DuncanDuncan
Contributor to Hungarian TV

II. Gav
DuncanDuncan
Contributor to Hungarian TV

A British-born journalist who has spent part of his career in Hungary. In fact, he holds both nationalities. A year ago, his view of the conflict brought a very different perspective to the Western media’s approach. For him, the EU is still not a relevant stakeholder in a conflict that he considers innocuous for the permanence of European democracies. All of them. For Duncan, there is not just one type of democracy as endorsed by the EU, but each country has its own particular “adaptation” of the democratic model. This is something he claims in particular for Eastern countries. He completes this unique perspective with a clear animosity towards Ukraine’s democratic quality. He says nothing about Russia’s.
"Claiming that Ukraine is an example of democracy is embarrassing at almost all levels"
To be honest, I don’t see any rise in far-right political parties within Europe. There is a lot of evidence regarding far-right militias in Ukraine… swastika tattoos in various army units, etc., which is dismissed out of hand by the majority of Western media. There continues to be a deliberate blurring of the distinction between the growth of nationalism and the supposed rise of the far right. Remarkably, most commentators applaud Ukraine for their nationalistic behaviour, whilst condemning other countries for the same. People are not either ill-informed or stupid. People will and do see double standards for what they are.

III. Oleg
GavryshGavrysh
Mainstream CEO

Managing Director of the Ukrainian PR agency Mainstream. A year ago, fear of reprisals led him to ask us not to publish his photo. Throughout this time of strife, he has not stopped believing in Ukraine’s victory. For him, it is synonymous with the victory of life over death, of light over darkness. According to Oleg, the time has come for Europe and the European Union to stand up to tyrants like Putin. But he also points out that this will require a transformation of the shape of EU politics and institutions.
“Ukrainians have earned their membership in the European Union with their blood”
With the beginning of hostilities, the president has brought together all of Ukraine, even those who did not support his policy within the country, including me. Over the year, the approval rating of Mr Zelensky reached 95-98%. All the president’s work and all his online and offline meetings are aimed at maintaining constant contact with the international community, expressing gratitude for the support and communicating the complexity of the situation and the need to speed up the transfer of the necessary weapons to Ukraine. Timely transfer. The Ukrainian president became the leader of Europe and the free world in the confrontation with Russian invaders.
Eva Rancho | 21th February 2023
