Letter: Vladimir Zhirinovsky's rise and the compromise of democratic ideals
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: It should not be assumed that the electoral rise of Vladimir Zhirinovsky in Russia will be greeted with any more dismay in the chancelleries of western Europe than was the rise of Adolf Hitler 60 years ago.
For the past two years, Western leaders have had little difficulty in treating Zhirinovsky's fellow pan- Slavist, Slobodan Milosevic as a serious negotiating partner. Just as the long-term policy emphasis of Britain has been for a strong man in the Balkans who will enable the attention of diplomats to be focused on more salubrious locations, history tells us that a Russian strong man has been acceptable to the West as long as core western interests are not trespassed upon.
It is now clear that these core interests do not extend to the Baltic states nor to countries like Poland and Hungary, otherwise a new security system would have been established to regulate the defence of a post-Cold War Europe.
If newly-free states from the Baltic to the Black Sea do not wish their liberty to be as fleeting as it proved to be in the 1930s, they should combine to lobby for a new security system that will contain the Zhirinovskys and Milosevics of Europe. If, upon doing so, they are told that the Atlantic Alliance and the European Union are exclusive clubs where they can leave their calling cards and attend as observers, then they should campaign directly among the west
European electorates over the heads of their discredited political leaders.
Yours faithfully,
TOM GALLAGHER
Department of Peace Studies
University of Bradford
West Yorkshire
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments