Editor's Note: Joining forces
In Poland, a country that for many years has been nervously keeping a foot in both the American and EU camps, the visit was watched with bated breath. The more so that the visit had both symbolic and historic dimensions.
The reason?
Never before has a US President visited Brussels as the European Union capital. Another factor is that the Union itself is just realizing its role a partner equal to the US, which takes one, united stand the most important issues.
Although many EU politicians still cannot accept Bush's policy towards Iraq and do not trust his assurance that the same scenario will not repeat itself in Iran, the conflict between the Union and the States has been clearly resolved in this aspect.
Nobody has the strength or desire any more to debate whether military intervention in Iraq was justified, and whether the reconstruction of the country was carried out effectively. This is because the problem of Iraq, as compared to other problems of the contemporary world, is already history. The Union and the US want to join forces to meet challenges together.
One of common problems shared by the Union and the US is the Russia of Vladimir Putin. This is why Putin's meeting with Bush in Bratislava was one of the most anticipated points of the President's European program. What is its effect? Unclear. General. The American President explicitly emphasized that the phrase "expansion of freedom and democracy" so much promoted by him, is not just an empty slogan, but a concrete plan of actions. Actions that Washington has an ambition to complete meticulously in the near future. Contemporary Russia with its clear plans to become a superpower does not fit into this program.
No one would ever welcome the return of a cold war stand off, but one could at least hope that world pressure on Russia will at least gain in strength.
Eliza Durka
Editor-in-chief
The reason?
Never before has a US President visited Brussels as the European Union capital. Another factor is that the Union itself is just realizing its role a partner equal to the US, which takes one, united stand the most important issues.
Although many EU politicians still cannot accept Bush's policy towards Iraq and do not trust his assurance that the same scenario will not repeat itself in Iran, the conflict between the Union and the States has been clearly resolved in this aspect.
Nobody has the strength or desire any more to debate whether military intervention in Iraq was justified, and whether the reconstruction of the country was carried out effectively. This is because the problem of Iraq, as compared to other problems of the contemporary world, is already history. The Union and the US want to join forces to meet challenges together.
One of common problems shared by the Union and the US is the Russia of Vladimir Putin. This is why Putin's meeting with Bush in Bratislava was one of the most anticipated points of the President's European program. What is its effect? Unclear. General. The American President explicitly emphasized that the phrase "expansion of freedom and democracy" so much promoted by him, is not just an empty slogan, but a concrete plan of actions. Actions that Washington has an ambition to complete meticulously in the near future. Contemporary Russia with its clear plans to become a superpower does not fit into this program.
No one would ever welcome the return of a cold war stand off, but one could at least hope that world pressure on Russia will at least gain in strength.
Eliza Durka
Editor-in-chief
