An important speech to read and think about, and corrects a frequent staple of Russian propaganda -- that Helsinki Accords are about never changing borders. They were about not changing borders *with force*. The Russians always invoke the independence of Kosovo, Kosovo breaking away from Serbia (and for that matter, Montenegro breaking away from Serbia!), and the NATO bombing of Serbia, as by force. But heres the thing: it was the use of force to back up the will of people who didnt want to go on *being held by force* -- Serbias massive war on the region -- to prevent their independence. As I said, debate all you like, but theres a difference between Gorbachev finally willing to let East Germany go and tearing down the wall - which no Russians complained about then as changing of a border, and the contrived outrage over Kosovar independence because NATO helped it along. Oh, and no thanks to Chernomyrdin for the Dayton Accords, thats Holbrooke. Ditto Abkhazia, South Ossetia -- these border changes by FORCE from Georgia which the West had to accept or start a war with Russia -- was not in the Helsinki spirit. (Just as the refusal by Serbs back in the 1980s to let Kosovars have radio and TV and education in their native language was a violation of the Helsinki Accords which everyone has long, long forgotten about.) In the Donbass, there has never, ever been a problem with Russians speaking their own language, having broadcasts in their own language, and education in their own language, so lets not be children here. Forcible annexation of Crimea and the invasion of the Donbass -- theres no way this is analogous to NATO bombing to free Kosovo from its continued bondage to Serbia, which kept it by force, and PS killed a lot of Croatians and Bosniaks as well. This is why Milosevic went to the Hague, instead of getting a Helsinki freedom award. 25 Years After, Europe Still Not Whole or Free interpretermag/25-years-after-europe-still-not-whole-or-free/
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 20:36:02 +0000
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