The Wild West

After the Ankara Agreement signed between Turkey and the European Economic Community (EEC), founded in 1957 and the basis of the European Union, the then Prime Minister İsmet İnönü described the EEC as “the boldest work the human mind has produced in the history of mankind”.

The European Economic Community, now called the European Union, later became one of the world’s central bases not only of economic power but, as it were, of law, justice and human rights. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union defines this as follows:

“The peoples of Europe, in creating an ever closer union among them, are resolved to share a peaceful future based on common values. Conscious of its spiritual and moral heritage, the Union is founded on the indivisible, universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity; it is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. It places the individual at the heart of its activities, by establishing the citizenship of the Union and by creating an area of freedom, security and justice.”

It all looked just like a utopia come true. After the Second World War that ravaged Europe, they had recovered and made a tremendous leap forward. Officials of the member states never stopped talking about the rule of law, human dignity and human rights. While the countries of the European continent were eager to join the Union, those in other regions watched its situation with envy.

The Breaking Point

As the calendar showed the last days of 2021, Russia began massing troops on the Ukrainian border. While the whole world was talking about a possible Russia–Ukraine war, Russia dismissed this talk as a Western delusion.

European countries declared that if Russia launched an operation against Ukraine, Russia would pay a heavy price and it would lead to disaster.

European leaders, who frequently met Ukrainian President Zelensky, constantly and openly conveyed the message that they stood by him.

Such a perception was created in the US–NATO–EU triangle that if Russia attempted to invade Ukraine, it would find NATO and the US facing it. Relations sank to their lowest level since the Cold War. On the level of rhetoric, an attack on or attempted invasion of Ukraine would indeed not end well for Russia.

Almost the whole world, above all Ukrainian President Zelensky and the citizens of Ukraine, did not doubt the credibility of these words and believed them. Behind them stood the US, NATO and the vast European Union.

The Expected Happened

On 17 February 2022, US President Biden declared: “Russia will enter Ukraine in the coming days.”  About a week after this statement, Russian President Putin, following a venomous speech, ordered a military operation, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine officially began. In the first days of the attempted invasion the Russian rouble lost a great deal of value against the dollar.

In the first days of the attempted invasion, while all eyes were on the military operation, people also began watching whether the US, NATO and European countries would join in. But the statements of leaders who had earlier threatened Russia with “disaster” changed shape. This time they began to say they would impose sanctions on Russia.

The fact that 28 of NATO’s 30 members were on the European continent, and that 21 of these 28 were EU members, naturally made the statements of support all the more credible.

The expected military support was revised and gave way to support with military equipment. But even this equipment support did not reach the expected level. European countries sent Ukraine 20- or 30-year-old weapons, gear and equipment from their inventories.

In the new situation, European countries wanted to impose sanctions by reducing their purchases of Russian gas, but Russia did not leave this unanswered and cut its gas sales even further.

As things stand, the Russian rouble has gained even more value than before the attempted invasion. Russia now sells far less gas than before yet earns more.

What Is Talked About, What Is Not

Five months have passed since Russia’s attempted invasion began. In the first days the whole world focused on developments in Ukraine. Lengthy assessments were made of the daily losses of the parties, especially Russia’s.

As the days went by, developments in the attempted invasion found less and less space in the media. Instead, the damage the invasion was doing to the world economy became the topic.

While the grain waiting in Ukrainian ports was discussed, the fact that an average of 100 Ukrainian soldiers were dying every day was no longer talked about.

While the most discussed topic among the European public was rising gas prices and their effect on industry, the fact that people in Ukraine were struggling even to access drinking water was no longer talked about.

The €9 monthly public transport ticket in Germany was discussed more than the fact that about 9 million people had left their homes in Ukraine and become refugees.

While people talked about the changes in their social lives caused by the Ukrainian refugees arriving in their countries, the fact that those people had come to their countries to save their lives, leaving behind their homes, families and loved ones, was no longer talked about.

The fact that Ukraine had found the self-confidence to stand up to Russia by feeling the support of the US and European countries behind it, but was then all but left alone, was no longer talked about.

While the statements of Russian officials who said at every opportunity that they would rebuild the former USSR and go all the way to Berlin via Ukraine and Poland stood as a threat to Europe, the fact that Ukrainian soldiers were giving their lives for Europe’s security in this process and that the people of Ukraine had become refugees was no longer talked about.

The Europe of Values

It appears that the Europe described at the beginning of this article, the Europe before the invasion of Ukraine, and the Europe after it do not share the same values. In short, we are bound to say that the European Union has shown that it aims at economic prosperity, as in the days of the European Economic Community where its first foundations were laid, and that if this prosperity is lost, the provisions of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, said to be its priority, can be disregarded; in other words, that the principle of “people first” can be abandoned.

I would like to end my article once again with a saying of İsmet İnönü. İsmet İnönü, who kept Turkey out of the Second World War, was heavily criticised. After the war, to the criticism “You left us without bread”, he replied: “I left you without bread, but I did not leave you fatherless.” In the time that has passed since, it has become clear how right these words were.