The agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on the import of Russian diesel into the US caused sharp reactions across the ocean and raised questions about the future of relations between Washington, Moscow and Europe. On the air of “Hello, Bulgaria“ geopolitical analyst Prof. Marin Rusev and political analyst Kristian Shkvarek commented on the consequences of the decision, Europe's weaknesses and the need for Bulgaria to defend its national interests more categorically.
According to Prof. Rusev, far more serious political consequences lie behind the economic motives of the American president. “It is about a double bottom. Something is emerging that has its economic motivation, but in fact it gives rise to very serious political consequences“, he said. According to him, Trump's actions can be seen as “a betrayal of the value system of the West“.
Christian Škvarek expressed a different position. According to him, the world is finally parting ways with the notion that international relations are determined primarily by common values and rules. “There will be world blocs and world powers in the world that understand each other and look out for each other's interests. The only thing that matters to us is whether we are strong“, he pointed out. The analyst warned that in the new geopolitical reality “the strong will do what they can, and the weak will suffer what they must“.
The two also commented on the political risks for Trump before the midterm elections in the US. According to Shkvarek, the president is trying to regain the support of Republican voters after failing to fulfill key promises on migration, prices and avoiding new wars. Prof. Rousseff described his actions as an example of short-term policy, subordinated to the current circumstances, instead of a long-term strategy.
Shkvarek criticized Europe's dependence on Russian energy resources and insufficient capacity for weapons production. According to him, European decarbonization policies are further hampering the industry. Rusev acknowledged some of the problems, but stressed that environmental considerations should not be ignored and that the democratic model implies a more complex decision-making process.
On the topic of Bulgaria, the two analysts agreed on the need for the country to assert its positions more clearly, including in cases of suspicion of Russian interference in incidents affecting national security.
“You look weak when you are not able to defend your interests at any given moment“, said Shkvarek. According to him, Bulgaria must be ready to react regardless of whether the pressure comes from Russia, the United States or another country.
Prof. Rusev also believes that our country should demonstrate a more categorical position, but warned against abrupt changes in its foreign policy course. "When a country acts firmly, straightforwardly, taking into account the national interest, we have much better chances," he said.
The two also touched on Bulgaria's historical tendency to defer to the great powers. According to Shkvarek, the country must overcome the fear of defending its interests, while Roussev called for a clearer distinction between Vladimir Putin's policies and Russian society as a whole.