Interview: Ukraine crisis a failure of EU policy: expert

The Ukraine crisis reflects shortcomings in European Union (EU) policy, said an expert ahead of the 51st Munich Security Conference (MSC) which kicked off on Friday in the southern German city. The Ukraine crisis is the top agenda at the conference.

Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies, Fudan University, said the crisis in the Eastern European country is a geopolitical game, adding that both the EU and Russia suffered from the sanctions and counter-sanction measures they have taken against each other.

In the expert's view, the Ukraine crisis, which highlights the security crisis in Europe, reflects the misjudgement of EU association strategy.

With the EU integration process, those neighboring countries wishing to join the EU have been transformed in accordance with the EU's specification in last 10 years.

"In fact, it is a certain aggressive, primarily through economic temptation, to attract more and more countries," Ding said.

Ding said the expansion of the EU continues eastwards. "And when Ukraine, which should serve as a buffer zone and neutral country between great powers, becomes a potential enemy of Russia, the bottom of Russia was touched," the professor said.

"It reflects a lack of strategic vision and appropriate diplomatic response in the EU," he added.

Moreover, weighing EU member states' responses to the issue is a difficult task as they have different benefit considerations.

In the long run, the professor said, the development of the Ukraine crisis will appear deadlocked. Progress depends not only on Russia, but is also subject to the Ukrainian authorities. Russia, for its own strategic interest, needs Ukraine at least to maintain a neutral position.

Russia warned on Thursday that possible U.S. weapons supplies to Ukraine would not only escalate the conflict in the country, but also threaten Russia's security.

As a response, Ding thought the EU and the European powers should play active roles in the mediation process to maintain the ceasefire and reach a peacekeeping agreement.

The collapse of the international order in light of the crisis in Ukraine is among key topics of the 51st MSC which takes place Feb. 6 to 8 in Munich. Other topics will be the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, the global refugee crisis, as well as the fight against terrorism, according to the MSC.

About 20 heads of state and government, around 60 ministers of foreign affairs and defense, 30 CEOs of large international companies, as well as parliamentary delegations are participating in the conference. Endit