Monday 24 May 2021
Lots of meetings - that's the answer
Belarus flight stop is an international scandal - EU
Will EU sanctions go further this time?
Sanctions are a popular tool in diplomacy. They sound tough, often cost little and, by and large, don’t involve loss of life.
But will the measures being discussed in Brussels this evening make a difference?
I don't want to seem alarmist, but these EU discussions could be even more dynamic and effective than the vaccination deliberations. Belarus will be watching developments with trepidation.
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5 comments:
The EU's ultimate weapon is to entice the Belarussians to join, and then to not let them leave.
What is (insert language) for "Where the fuck is Belarus? Do they have oil?"
Sam - although there would have to be a treaty clause about not nicking planes.
Doonhamer - they have peat apparently. We may wish we had more of it eventually.
Once upon a time very few people had heard of Belarus, those who had cared little about it. Then that tiny insignificant nation became a pariah among those who know best, those who are wise beyond all reason. All because their heroic leader, Lukashenko, victor of many hard fought election battles had refused to lock his people in their homes. Indeed this man, stigmatised as the last dictator in Europe, even refused to close sports stadia and pubs. So the global powers offered him many millions to fall into line, he refused. Then spontaneous demonstrations against his rule took place. People really wanted to be locked in their homes and kept away from the pubs. Lukashenko is wily old bird and knew he was being got at by the big, powerful neighbour who wanted to free his people from being free to go about their daily lives. So he set out to snare one of the organisers of the dissent, angering everyone who knew much about nothing at all. So the big neighbour refused to buy their beetroot for a whole year and a day. The poor, free Belarusians suffered mightily consuming a mountain of beets. Eventually the people were freed from their non slavery and many had nothing and were happy, although they didn't live happy ever after.
Andy - yes, deaths per million about a sixth of ours. Strange.
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