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| Volume 52 Number 24, October 15, 2022 | ARCHIVE | HOME | JBCENTRE | SUBSCRIBE |
Massive Energy Price and Cost of Living Protest Paris,
September 3 2022 - Photo: F Phillippot
On October 6, following the immediate crisis in her leadership over the "mini budget" in Britain, the new prime minister Liz Truss travelled to the Czech capital, Prague, for the first meeting of the so-called European Political Community (EPC). The EPC is reported to be the brainchild of the French President Emmanuel Macron and is aimed at bringing together leaders from nearly every European country, of course with the exception of Russia and Belarus which it is aimed against. It is being described as a new European political informal grouping that is dedicated to advancing security and energy co-operation across the continent. Thus the EPC is aimed at bringing together countries that do not necessarily agree with the EU stand on Ukraine and other matters [1], but nevertheless is aimed at reaching out to "counter Russian narratives", as some EU leaders have put it.
NATO integrated command European weapon
systems
This "European Political Community" is being proposed at a time when the European project as a whole is in crisis, when the euphoria over the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc has long gone, and when there have been widespread demonstrations throughout Europe against the ruling governments, whether described as "centre-ground" or of the "right". Thus, Macron, Truss and others might think that this is an opportune time to aim to be "uniting EU and non-EU members". It is clearly not a political grouping of the whole of Europe when Russia and Belarus are excluded. Russia on its own forms not only the largest population in Europe, but also the largest area of Europe. The fact that it was not about Europe and its unity was revealed further when Truss spelt out the main aims of Britain, the main military ally of the US, in attending the EPC.
Liz Truss has said her attendance at a European summit in Prague was "not about moving closer to Europe... what this is about is about working with all of our European partners to challenge Putin's appalling war in Ukraine" and that Emmanuel Macron was a "friend". She said it was also aimed at the "huge energy costs, rising inflation and also migration across our continent." [2]. In a joint statement following the meeting, Macron and Truss pledged to hold a UK-France summit in 2023. Meanwhile, it is being reported that, in what looks like a future political role for the monarchy, King Charles III is poised to visit France on an official State Visit following an invitation from President Emmanuel Macron. It is reported that Charles is likely to travel on to Germany subsequently.
Truss is claiming that Britain has been playing a "leading role in Europe" in escalating the war by arming Ukraine and stepping up sanctions against Russia. In her Times article [3], published to coincide with the trip, it is clearly written in a way to give voice to the US interests in dividing Europe from Russia and expanding NATO and pursuing a proxy war against Russia. Truss says; "so I welcome the opportunity to work with leaders from across the continent in this new forum. But this must not cut across the G7 and NATO, and it must not be a talking shop."
Truss goes on to demand that she wants to see; "concrete action and delivery on three key priorities." Spelling out these three priorities Truss says that "first, we must ensure that Putin is defeated ... I will urge my European friends to continue to work with us in providing more weapons, imposing more sanctions, and backing Ukraine in pushing Russian forces out." In other words, the plan is to persuade European countries to further escalate the war in Ukraine alongside NATO and the G7 and make no attempt to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and find a peaceful solution based on the interests of the peoples of Ukraine and Russia, Europe and the world. This demonstrates that Truss's priorities are more to do with the US strategic aims to wage a proxy war against Russia in Europe to pursue its own interests and not that of Europe and its peoples.
Liz Truss further declared that "we must end our addiction to Russian hydrocarbons" and talks about "deterring any threat to Britain's underwater pipelines" to France and Europe, as if the blowing up of the pipelines between Germany and Russia deserve no comment, or have no consequences for European countries and especially those that don't accept the oil and gas sanctions and relied on these pipelines. These sanctions against Russia have no basis in international law. Tellingly, she makes no mention, or denial as to Britain's involvement in what was a state terrorist action against these pipelines.
Thirdly, Truss says "we must use the opportunity of this forum to focus on migration ... Today we will be deepening our joint working." Here Truss is championing the long-standing inhuman measures and treatment of the British state towards migrants of all countries but particularly those of countries that Britain and the US have been unleashing their own wars in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Truss says that "we are proud of the way that we have opened our homes to 130,000 Ukrainian refugees. But we need a stronger response to the crime gangs that exploit desperate people." This is a general government-speak for blocking refugees that Britain does not want to come across the Channel but wants to force them to stay in Europe or air-lift them to Rwanda. Then Truss shifts the blame for this "trans-national tragedy" to "authoritarian states undermining stability and security around the world". She tries to exclude the US, Britain from being among the authoritarian states when she claims the "democratic nations need to be bolder and more innovative in how they collaborate to ensure that our shared values prevail". These "shared values" of "democratic nations" contain the most warmongering nations on earth, Britain and the US along with their leadership of the NATO alliance.
Reporting on the summit, a commentator from the BBC, Jessica Parker, confirmed that Britain's role in the EPC was to not allow the undermining of the role of the US and NATO [4]. She reported: "The official line was that the PM was taking part because she wanted to 'shore up' support for Ukraine and 'galvanise' collective action on energy security and migration. ... The UK has been less keen to talk about security, with jitters that the EPC could be seen as somehow cutting across the NATO military alliance."
According to reports, 27 EU states and 17 European countries attended the EPC. As many expected following this meeting in Prague, the EU has tried to claim that the EPC supported the stand of the EU and "paved the way for the upcoming formal European Council in Brussels on 20 and 21 October, at which the leaders are expected to reach decisions and adopt conclusions on the three issues discussed in Prague. [5]" However, as one commentator put it [6], the EPC was like "a sword striking water" and that "no joint statement was planned at the end of the meeting and none would have been possible. A schedule for the next meetings of this forum was agreed upon, in six months in Moldova, next year in Spain, and then in the UK. No one is sure why he would participate, or even if it will still exist."
At this time, for Britain to renew its relations with all European peoples is one of the most vital questions facing the working class and people of Britain, but these relations cannot be renewed on the basis of support for the US and Britain's proxy war in arming and escalating the conflict in Ukraine. The problems and security of the peoples of Europe cannot be settled by escalating such a conflict but only by identifying the role played by the US, Britain and the NATO ruling elites as the real threat to peace in Europe in provoking this war in Ukraine and now in escalating it in such a dangerous way to world peace. Truss's warmongering visit to Prague should be condemned along with the ruling elite who are behind it on both sides of this consensus in Parliament. Britain's relations in Europe should be renewed by further developing the peoples' co-operation and opposition to warmongering, lies and disinformation and continuing to take stands and actions for peace. Britain urgently needs an anti-war government!
Notes
1. The European Commission website states: "The EU and its international
partners are united in condemning Putin's aggression on Ukraine. We will
provide support to those seeking shelter and we will help those looking for a
safe way home. The EU will continue to offer strong political, financial and
humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and impose hard-hitting sanctions against
Russia and those complicit in the war."
2. Truss calls Macron a 'friend' as she attends summit of European leaders -
The Guardian, October 5 2022
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/06/liz-truss-european-political-community-meeting-prague
3. PM Liz Truss: Time to find common cause with our European friends - Prime
Minister Liz Truss's article in The Times, October 6 2022.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-liz-truss-time-to-find-common-cause-with-our-european-friends
4. UK's Truss joins Europe's leaders for big summit on Ukraine war - October 7
2022
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63151813
5. Informal meeting of heads of state or government, Prague, 7 October 2022
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/european-council/2022/10/07/
6. The European political Community : a sword striking water - Thierry Meyssan,
October 10 2022
https://www.voltairenet.org/article218222.htm