Ukraine diplomacy: what is Eastern Europe's role?
The leaders of five European countries attended Monday's Ukraine summit in Washington, but there were no representatives from Eastern European EU member states. Eastern European media outlets ask why these countries' support for Ukraine and their proximity to the war zone aren't giving them a more prominent role.
Only themselves to blame
The Czech Republic and Poland are gambling away the political capital they gained through their support for Ukraine, Hospodářské noviny laments:
“Poland spends almost five percent of its GDP on defence - far more than any other Nato member. ... But the country is not a natural leader in the region. ... The tensions between the president and the government will further weaken Poland's position. ... The outcome of the negotiations on Ukraine will have a direct impact on Central Europe. By helping the attacked country, Prague and Warsaw were able to earn kudos among their allies, which they could have profited from later on. It's just a pity that owing to their domestic political situation, including the expected outcome of the elections in the Czech Republic, nothing will come of it.”
Poland must get its act together
Poland is being left out because of the political rifts within the country, political scientist Jarosław Kuisz writes on news website Interia:
“The fact that the Finnish president sat at the table compromises our efforts to have a say. Poland is of fundamental importance as a transit country. The war in Eastern Europe is a major issue for us. Clearly, our country's polarisation has contributed to the ineffectiveness of its diplomacy. Can we respond to this failure by pulling ourselves together and cooperating in the interests of the state? We have a tendency to engage in provincial squabbling. We believe in making gestures of recognition even if we're just being led by the nose. Meanwhile, in practice we're losing our place in the most important geopolitical discussions.”
Wheeling and dealing without the small fry
Writing in Libertatea, journalist Costi Rogozanu voices frustration over Eastern Europe's spectator role:
“From Europe and the US, all I hear are the buzzwords 'reconstruction' and 'rearmament'. Investment funds are rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of entering a war-torn country like Ukraine and reaping profits the likes of which they haven't seen since the fall of the Iron Curtain. ... Eastern Europe - which was not invited to the meeting in Washington - can do nothing but take out loans and get ready to go on a shopping spree [for defence equipment]. ... They probably didn't want to hear about the fears of Eastern Europeans at the meeting. I'm just speculating, beyond the obvious fact that there are more and more clubs for the privileged which are inaccessible to the small fry.”
Only Orbán got things right
For the pro-government newspaper Vasárnap, the events have proven the Hungarian prime minister right:
“Europe is late again. Just as its belated awakening on the migration issue has irreversibly transformed social relations, the clumsy behaviour of Brussels and the major European capitals in the current situation has displaced them from the stage of key geopolitical actors for a long time to come. Unsurprisingly, Budapest may well step in to take their place. Several major international newspapers are reporting that the Hungarian capital could be the venue for the planned meeting between Putin and Zelensky. Although nothing is certain yet, this would be a genuine recognition of Hungary's peace policy efforts.”