Ukraine crisis could unite US, EU: Schäuble (Germany’s foreign minister)

TheLocal.de ^ | 12 Apr 2014 08:51 GMT+02:00 | (AFP)

[Olog-hai]

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble on Friday portrayed the Ukraine crisis as an opportunity for the European Union and the United States to revamp their relationship after the fallout of the NSA spying scandal.

“I am confident that the Ukraine crisis will help us to strengthen transatlantic ties and rediscover our common interests,” Schäuble said in a speech on the sidelines of the annual IMF/World Bank spring meetings.

Moscow’s “backslide into patterns from the previous century” has caused both sides of the Atlantic to move closer together, he said.

“Like no two actors on the global stage, the United States and Europe share common values, common strengths and common interests when it comes to shaping the global order of the 21^st century.” …

[Olog-hai]

Anyone who has read the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights knows that the “common values” claim is false, just for starters. Article 52 of that Charter makes that plain:

Any limitation on the exercise of the rights and freedoms recognized by this Charter must be provided for by law and respect the essence of those rights and freedoms. Subject to the principle of proportionality, limitations may be made only if they are necessary and genuinely meet objectives of general interest recognized by the Union or the need to protect the rights and freedoms of others. …

The US Constitution makes rights absolute and inviolable, by contrast, and does not conjure up ephemeral “objectives of general interest” by which to take freedoms away and build a totalitarian state.

[Olog-hai]

Correction: Wolfgang Schäuble is Germany’s finance minister, not foreign minister (who is Frank-Walter Steinmeier).

[Psalm 144]

They just love us for our cannon fodder.

[Olog-hai]

They had no problem with that when it came to Yugoslavia. And Putin’s stirring up his old empire using the NATO breakup thereof as a rallying cry.

[Grzegorz 246]

“I am confident that the Ukraine crisis will help us to strengthen transatlantic ties and rediscover our common interests,”

For Europe it is probably the last opportunity to increase military budgets, abandon CO2 madness etc. before it is too late.

[dfwgator]

I hope Poland is taking those actions.

[americanbychoice3]

they won’t increase military budgets.
they have become too soft and wouldn’t even defend their own countries, if attacked.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Olog-hai.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble on Friday portrayed the Ukraine crisis as an opportunity for the European Union and the United States to revamp their relationship after the fallout of the NSA spying scandal... Moscow's “backslide into patterns from the previous century” has caused both sides of the Atlantic to move closer together...