Sergey Lavrov photo: Russian Foreign Ministry / Flickr / CC by-NC-SA 2.0

The loud statement of Sergei Lavrov that Russia could break relations with the European Union, was perceived as news, although he already talked about it. Now the discussion has become aggravated due to an unsuccessful visit to Moscow, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Boar. The agenda of his visit clearly demonstrated the difference in how Moscow and Brussels are now perceiving relations with each other. European institutions represented by the former Spanish Minister consider the main discussion with Russian leaders of the situation in the Russian Federation - the state of rights and freedoms. From the Russian side, this causes not just a misunderstanding, as it was before, but also an extremely sharp rejection.

The conflict has several levels - global; regional; Purely applied.

Global

It is due to the fact that the global system is changing sharply. Globalization as a movement towards generally accepted universal rules turned back, sovereignty and protectionism in a broad sense are the main trend. All governments feel vulnerable, because they cannot be completely confident in the ability to effectively control the processes in their own territory. Hence the increased sensitivity to everything that contains an external effect on internal processes. In Russia, this has always been present, although in a slightly less pronounced form, in the USA and Europe - the phenomenon is new, but rapidly growing.

Against this background, the European Union is an open claim that it has the right to evaluate domestic political processes in Russia and demand a change in their character seems to be perfect anachronism. Moreover, claiming this to his right, the EU cannot ensure its implementation in practice, there are simply not enough effective levers of influence. We repeat that the neutralization of such levers is today the priority of all world governments.

Regional

Until a certain point, European integration was considered a dominant political uniform in Europe and in neighboring territories. Relations between Russia and the EU since the mid-1990s. It was just from this that the future Europe will have the center of Brussels, and the rest should look for ways to adopt this, their niches in the vast community. Hence the idea that the countries should not even be included in the European Union (and not planning to strive there) should be guided by the norms of the European Union in political practice and report on compliance. Economic and other ties were determined by following a certain set of rules. These rules simultaneously served as a process of managing processes from the side of the one who formulates them, that is, Brussels.

Such a model is completed for several reasons. The project of the “Big European” arrangement according to the EU’s ideas was removed from the agenda, the European Union is too busy with its own problems and the salvation of integration itself. The international palette has changed not in favor of Europe, but in Eurasia in general a new stage of fundamental shifts. Russia finally moved away from attempts to integrate into European undertakings, and even the struggle with the EU for the general periphery is now perceived differently. Without previous passion, more utilitarian. The West as a whole returns to an attempt to consolidate within itself - that is, the defensive logic prevails over the offensive. Russia is not going to integrate with anyone, even with its own projects now a question.

What are the grounds in order to seriously perceive someone’s instructions on topics regarding internal processes in this state of affairs. Moreover, political transit in Russia if it has not yet begun, then, undoubtedly, there are. And it would be strange if even a hint of attempts to influence from the outside was perceived differently as a sabotage.

Purely applied

How are the "gap" fraught with? Minister Lavrov emphasizes that we are talking about European institutions, not about Europe as a set of individual countries. All political dialogs with the EU ceased in 2014. Economic cooperation, which is not affected by sanctions and continues, goes between Russia and various states - members of the European Union. Theoretically, you can, of course, imagine the script when these ties collapse, but this is the disaster is akin to the military, which will hit all participants. It is more likely (and this corresponds to the general trends in the European Union) the member country will become, if possible, to build their economic relations with Moscow. Of course, if the atmosphere between Russia and the European workers' institutions, this would have been an help and could open new doors. But for the reasons described above, this cannot be expected.

No matter how relate to the history of relations between Russia and the European Union in 1990–2000, and the parties then, acting in a certain paradigm, tried to expand the possibilities, this paradigm ended. Hold on to her attributes now and henceforth simply hopelessly.

Russia vs. EU: Roads that we choose