For more than 20 years, there was a European Square with a flag monument in the heart of Moscow. Now the Russian capital has renamed it and the flags are gone. The reason is obvious.
As a result of a growing confrontation with the European Union, the Russian capital Moscow no longer has a Europe Square. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin renamed the square at the Kiev train station in the city center by decree to Eurasia Square. This refers to the world region that includes the Asian regions of Russia, China and Asian states. No reason was given. However, this is seen as a sign of Russia’s turning away from Europe as a result of Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its increasing focus on the Asian region.
Moscow accuses the European Union of pursuing an increasingly aggressive and anti-Russian policy, as Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed again to journalists on Wednesday. Europe Square was opened more than 20 years ago as a Russian-Belgian project and was intended to be a symbol of the “unity of European states” ever since. The flags of the European states flew for a long time on a large flag monument with masts; they had already been taken down last year.
Tensions between the EU and Russia have increased further in the wake of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Zakharova accused EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in particular of pursuing a course directed against Russia on behalf of the United States. Von der Leyen was already considered a controversial figure for the power apparatus in Moscow during her time as German Minister of Defense when she said that the West must speak to Russia from a position of strength.
Source: Stern
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