Why not all European radicals are Putin's allies: Experts explain
Photo: Russian leader Vladimir Putin (GettyImages)
In many European countries, radical populists are coming to power. This could pose a certain threat to Ukraine, although not all populists are "friends" of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the RBC-Ukraine article.
For populists in Central-Eastern and Northern European countries, historical legacy and proximity to Russia play an important role. However, it should be noted that recently a number of populist parties have taken an anti-Russian stance.
"Poland which has had a tragical experience with Russia throughout history. Polish populists are weary of Russia; similar in the Nordic counties: they have been weary of Russia's geopolitical interests for years" said Bertjan Verbeek, a professor of international relations at Radboud University Nijmegen.
A similar situation is observed in the Baltic states, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. In particular, the former speaker of parliament from the Finns Party (previously named "True Finns"), Jussi Halla-Aho, is known for donating to have an inscription placed on a Ukrainian shell and for delivering a speech in Ukrainian from the Verkhovna Rada's podium.
The situation in Italy is somewhat different. The government, led by Giorgia Meloni, regularly provides assistance to Ukraine.
"Meloni's position is pro-Ukrainian because it is beneficial for Italy. The Brothers of Italy as a political party is not pro-Ukrainian, although part of the party supports the position of the Prime Minister," said Viktoriia Vdovychenko, co-director of the Future of Ukraine program at the Center for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge (UK).
According to her, Italian companies are interested in entering Ukraine with large energy-infrastructure projects as well as maritime security projects. Personal contacts also play a significant role.
"This is a merit of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He charmed her in the truest sense of the word. The Italian Prime Minister likes to talk to Zelenskyy and I can say for sure that she changed her view of Ukraine after Zelenskyy came to power, but not all party members followed their leader," Vdovychenko added.
Recently, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Zelenskyy "harms" Slovakia and is supposedly an "enemy" for the country. This is due to the cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukrainian territory since the beginning of this year.
The Slovak politician also threatened to halt electricity exports to Ukraine. Moreover, Fico previously promised that Slovakia would significantly reduce aid to Ukrainian refugees.
