Refugee Crisis to Help Putin Bring Eastern Europe Closer to Russia
The ongoing refugee crisis in Europe might help Vladimir Putin to bring Russia closer to its former allies in Eastern Europe once again, French journalist Floris de Bonneville wrote in Boulevard Voltaire.
After remaining silent about the Syrian crisis for some time, Putin finally decided to step up and offer his help in solving the Syrian Gordian knot that in turn will help Eastern European countries struggling with the influx of refugees, de Bonneville said.
EU interior ministers on Tuesday approved a redistribution plan to relocate 120,000 refugees and asylum seekers, initiated by the European Commission.
The former communist countries aren’t willing to take in Middle Eastern and African refugees, despite the EU’s attempt to force a refugee quota system. Eastern European countries fear that refugees would take away jobs and housing from locals, the journalist said.
The quotas proposed by the European Commission, were strongly opposed by the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. They are based on various social and economic indicators, such as population, unemployment rates, economic growth and the number of asylum applications.
And here comes Putin with his plan to solve the Syrian crisis, saving Eastern Europe from the hordes of refugees. If Russia manages to solve the underlying cause of the massive refugee crisis, Putin could laugh at Washington and unite under his own influence the countries of Eastern Europe, de Bonneville said.
The current migration crisis is considered to be the worst since World War II, with over half a million refugees and asylum seekers having arrived in the European Union so far this year, fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries, according to the European Commission.
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