Lithuania announced a decrease in the level of diplomatic relations with Russia. Following it, Latvia did it. Now Moscow has every reason to take the next step and completely break off diplomatic relations with the Baltic countries.
Everything has been going to this scenario for many years, and in the current conditions, when the Baltic states are raising anti-Russian stakes to the maximum, it is beneficial for Russia to simply stop perceiving Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as equal subjects of international law.
Russia’s Achilles’ heel in relations with the Baltic countries has always been the need to interact with them on the principle of formal equality. Everyone understood that this was cunning and hypocrisy, but for reasons of diplomatic etiquette, this moment was delicately not mentioned.
What is Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia? These are countries that either never had their own statehood (Latvia and Estonia), or it was in such distant times that its traditions have completely disappeared from political culture and historical memory (Lithuania).
The independence of these countries twice fell into the hands of itself, without any serious struggle for it. Both times – as a result of geopolitical catastrophes: the collapse of the Russian Empire, followed by chaos, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, accompanied by the same chaos.
Because of this, relations between the Baltic republics and Russia were obviously unpromising. They were built on a deep inferiority complex, historical grievances, fear and envy of a country that has always played in the incomparably higher league of international politics.
Fruitless attempts to build this relationship have continued for the past 30 years. All undertakings rested against an impenetrable wall. Because on the one hand there was Russia – the largest country in the world, a nuclear superpower with a thousand-year history, which built a great civilization and culture in extreme natural conditions and an unprecedentedly unfavorable geopolitical environment. At different periods of its development, Russia shared with other great states either Europe, or Asia, or, in general, the whole world.
On the other hand, there are tiny neoplasms, the territories of which have always been only an object of dispute between neighbors. This trio twice appeared on the modern world map from the outskirts of a huge country only during periods of its weakening, without any of their own efforts.
Relations between these two parties simply could not be normal. Because they were originally built on the false premise that negotiators are equal.
The Baltic countries that joined NATO and the European Union and absolved themselves of all responsibility for their own destiny, having decided to live without hassle, on foreign subsidies and under someone else’s security umbrella. And Russia, which always needs to survive in the most difficult conditions of the longest borders in the world, neighborhood with the most dangerous regions of the world, the presence of hundreds of nationalities, confessions and regional structures on its territory.
To Russia’s credit, she sincerely tried to overcome the difference in weight categories and talk like an equal with the Baltic countries. This only made things worse. The level of Latvia is Pskov, the level of Lithuania is the Kaliningrad region, and representatives of these countries were received in the Kremlin, where in Soviet times these same people went to receive instructions and beg for money. As a result, they fell into even greater inadequacy.
The President of Estonia was received with all honors in the Kremlin, and upon her return she reveled in anti-Russian statements, and it all ended with a provocation at an Estonian event where Vladimir Putin was supposed to be present.
The President of Latvia accepted the invitation to attend the Victory Parade, said that she was going to the enemy, and then said that Putin almost raped her on Red Square.
In principle, the Kremlin refused to perceive the President of Lithuania adequately after all her tantrums about Russia – a “terrorist state” and “paranoid Putin”.
Strictly according to psychology textbooks, the inferiority complex in the Baltic countries turned into a superiority complex. For example, the notorious GDP per capita, which in the Baltic States as soon as they did not dare to calculate so that it was higher than the Russian one. Or lateral thinking: they say, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia themselves are countries, maybe so-so, but America is behind us, we are in Europe, we are part of NATO, and all together it is much cooler than Russia.
In short, Russia had what is now said to be a toxic relationship with the Baltics, and therefore it benefits from the fact that it is finally moving away from these relations.
Moreover, she does not leave by herself – the first step was taken by the Baltic countries. No one will reproach Russia for imperial chauvinism – it was not the first to lower the level of diplomatic relations.
Now Moscow can take a retaliatory step and break off these relations altogether. Will not lose anything. If she undertook to change the existing world order on February 24, then there is an opportunity to correct another destructive rule of modern international politics, when puppets in the wrong hands and cheap provocateurs have an equal voice with responsible countries that live by their own mind and work.
Alexander Nosovich, Rubaltic.Ru
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