Ukraine: Is the EU responsible for the invasion that was just waiting to happen?

Years of EU states taking security for granted weakened defences and emboldened Putin

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2022

Early yesterday morning Russian troops invaded Ukraine to the horror of the Western nations and the civilised democratic world. It follows years, if not decades, of diminished defence spending, and even now the response from the main slouches in the West's camp look supine and self-serving.

Just over two years ago in December 2019 Facts4EU warned that Western defence spending was too low and that the culprits were practically all of the EU members states. The UK stood out as consistently meeting the NATO target of at least 2% of GDP being committed to defence spending while others – including wealthy countries like Germany – were living off the backs of the United States and the UK.

A strong and powerful United Kingdom - able to act independently

This explained why the EU was so desperate to keep the UK ensnared in its Common Security and Defence Policy and by the same token why the UK had to retreat from all commitments made by Cameron and May, lest we become embroiled in wars of the EU’s making.

Below, Facts4EU shows again the figures that explain why Putin could take outrageous opportunity to invade Ukraine, known it would be undefended by the West. It was all so inevitable and could have been avoided. Even now further appeasement is being agreed in Berlin and Brussels to let the Russian despot off the hook – just read on to find out why…

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

How the ‘peace dividend’ became ‘appeasement’ - Part One

EU-NATO members’ defence spending in the seven years after Russia invaded Crimea

UK was one of only two EU countries to meet minimum NATO defence spending obligations every year
UK spent an average of 2% or more of GDP on defence in the seven years after Russia invaded Crimea
The EU27 countries as a whole have underspent on defence by many hundreds of billions of euros
Six out of the EU27 are not even members of NATO: Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta, and Sweden

[ Sources: NATO Dec 2019 ]

Even now the same countries are unwilling to act in the face of Russian aggression

In his statement to the House of Commons yesterday the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced proposals for sanctions that went further than previously contemplated.

And in one of those rare occasions when the moment transcends partisan politics the Official Opposition gave its full support to the Government.

There was one issue that Johnson was pressed on by all sides – would he act to throw Russia out of the SWIFT international electronic banking transfer system? The Prime Minister answered he was keen to, but - with SWIFT being a co-operative partnership based in Brussels - he could only move as fast as the international partners moved.

Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba

“I will not be diplomatic on this. Everyone who now doubts whether Russia should be banned from SWIFT has to understand that the blood of innocent Ukrainian men, women and children will be on their hands too.

“BAN RUSSIA FROM SWIFT.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, Twitter, 24 February 2022

The culpability of the EU's largest economy: Germany

Research of the official figures on defence spending by Facts4EU.Org has shown just how much the EU's largest economy by far - Germany - has singularly failed to meet its obligations to Nato.

In the five years following Russia's illegal invasion and annexation in 2014 of Crimea - part of Ukraine - Germany's defence spending has been pitifully low. At the same time Germany has been agreeing gas supply agreements with Russia's Gazprom, closely linked to President Putin and his associates, and is already heavily reliant on Russian gas for its energy needs.

Germany's agreement to the new Russian Nordstream II gas pipeline, bypassing Ukraine, gave the green light to President Putin. The United Kingdom and the United States in particular warned against this move by the German government, but in vain. Finally it seems that the German government is prepared to reconsider.

Below we show just how much Germany's policies on defence have weakened the West's ability to stand up to the Russian dictator.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

How the ‘peace dividend’ became ‘appeasement’ - Part Two

Germany’s $147bn dollar defence deficit

In the five-year period 2015-19 alone, Germany underspent on defence by -$147 billion dollars
In the same period the UK spent $16.2 billion MORE on defence than the required NATO minimum
The other EU members of NATO underspent on defence by a total of -$446 billion dollars
And of all of that in only that five year period, not including the decades before that, nor the years since

[ Sources: NATO Dec 2020 ]

If Facts4EU.Org can reveal these figures you can bet Vladimir Putin knew them too. What they show is an unwillingness in the EU nations to pay for their own security – expecting other nations to pick up the tab – those countries being the US and the UK

Observations

SWIFT but not sure

Without halting the use of SWIFT by the Russians oligarchs, government or corporates all that money, dodgy or otherwise can still swill around from bank to bank as if Ukraine had never been invaded. We need collective agreement, but Germany and the EU only want collective agreement on their terms.

And there’s the rub. Germany does not want to and what Germany says is what the EU does. So it’s a 'nein' then.

Here we go again. Having failed to pay towards the collective defence of all Europe and expect the US and UK to finance their protection, Germany and the EU want to let the Russian leader off the hook. Just who were the good Europeans in the past on the issue of defence and who are the good Europeans now? In both instances it has been British Governments, irrespective of party, acting not just in Britain’s interests but in Europe’s too.

It is time for Ursula von der Leyen to step up to the plate and DEMAND the German Government must agree to expelling the Russians from SWIFT. Anything less spells the complete and utter failure of a common EU foreign policy.

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[ Sources: House of Commons PM Statement | NATO statistics | Ukrainian Government statements ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Friday, 25 February 2022

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Reader Comments 10

1. Mark Burnell , Friday, February 25, 2022, 07:42:

The UK has more than halved the number in our armed forces over the last 30 years…. But at least we saved on wages to pay the EU for the privilege of being in their wonderful club.

2. Kevin Male , Friday, February 25, 2022, 08:14:

All those who failed to spend the required % of GDP on defence have failed us all. When Trump was President he forced NATO countries to spend the required payments.

3. Have You Wondered , Friday, February 25, 2022, 08:51:

The 2% NATO contribution chart is dated 2019.
Anyone know what the current 2021 figures are?

4. cairo mick , Friday, February 25, 2022, 09:03:

I imagine Finland and Sweden are feeling a little nervous right now!

5. John Hardman , Friday, February 25, 2022, 10:57:

So glad we left the EU.
It is a complete embarrassment on the world stage.
How can any right minded person in the UK lead the way to rejoin this EU Cesspit.

6. KB , Friday, February 25, 2022, 13:11:

Like I've said before, that UK 2% figure is more of an indication of how grossly inefficient our defence spending must be, than anything else.
France has about 20% greater military forces for less money ! And I doubt that France defence spending is exactly a model of efficiency either.

7. Not4EU, London , Friday, February 25, 2022, 13:36:

Am I truely expected to believe what is being pumped out by our MSM with all the usual suspects front & centre spouting their 'expertise' & narrative?
The same people, organisations & Govt that have spent 6 yrs undermining & trying to reverse a democratic referendum, & failing that subverting a proper exit by colluding with our 'competitor' to prevent any competitive advantage?
The same people who've driven the plandemic, many for personal gain, suppressing other provable effective medication to try and impose an experimental gene therapy (where all animals in testing died, so they skipped that bit this time), using psychological warfare on this country's people and continue to do so? Those people?
Yet now we're expected to believe them?
Where were they as The Ukraine has been shelling its own people in the east (since the engineered coup in 2014)?
Where are/were their voices with the assaults on democracy & people in Canada enforcing mandatory experiments on the people? Or Australia? Or New Zealand? Austria, Italy, Greece etc? Anyone might think that they desire the authoritarianism & fascism that they accuse Putin of. Certainly, the laws planned to further restrict our liberties indicate so.
The UK Govt is rushing to defend another country's 'borders' yet ignore our own which they now won't publish figures for & arrest people trying to film it.
We also seem to have sent soldiers to Mali. Forgive me, but I thought that we'd left the EU.
I'm not too certain what the 'lit up' Downing Street was for as I don't know what flag it was supposed to be but it wasn't the Ukraine's. Was Truss involved?
The key take from this must be that we MUST be self-sufficient in our energy security. The madness of importing power at multiple cost for the insane 'net zero', when sitting on our own reserves, for a tick in the box is beyond belief. They most definitely are not working for US.

8. Tim B , Friday, February 25, 2022, 18:03:

For many years the west have been prodding the bear so we shouldn’t really be too surprised when the bear reacts. Although this invasion cannot at all be justified, the west should share some of the blame for what is happening. Not sure if the EU are more at fault than the rest of the western alliance, but being adamant that Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO while holding such a weak hand was very poor diplomacy.

9. jon livesey , Friday, February 25, 2022, 19:17:

The EU had ten years notice that Russia was gradually encroaching on Ukraine, first in the Crimea, then in the Donbas, and now a full invasion. And in that ten years they simply made themselves more and more dependent on Russian energy supplies, and now they won't even vote for excluding Russia from SWIFT. The EU has become the Europe of the Thirties - divided, unwilling to take action, and simply waiting for the Dictator to take their decisions for them. Getting out of the EU was the best thing we have dine since 1945.

10. Have You Wondered , Friday, February 25, 2022, 20:21:

Have You Wondered if the EU are are hog tied by Moscow?
.
""How Europe is funding Putin’s war ""
""The bloc was unable to agree measures against the SWIFT international payments system because so many countries use it for their all important gas payments to Moscow. ""
Could the EU not have seen this coming when they got into bed with Putin and his cronys?
.
705 MEP's from 27 nations are represented in Brussels and no one had the brain to look into their glass ball and seen this coming?
.
An induced narcolepsy complacent Brussels 'gravy train' ?
.
A congregation of vassal non entities?
.
In another sphere, is the UK 'Londramat' - is the UK any better?

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