Kostas Karamanlis: Live Speech at the War Museum on Ukraine Conflict

The speech by former ND president, Kostas Karamanlis, was highly anticipated during the presentation of Stavros Lygeros’ book, ‘The Unseen Aspects of the War in Ukraine.’ Karamanlis initially addressed the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that the Russian invasion nearly three years ago was rightly condemned. However, he pointed out that the collective West is not blameless regarding the conditions leading to the conflict or the ongoing tragedy, primarily affecting the Ukrainian people. The instigation of unrest in 2014, the disregard for the Minsk agreements, and the insistence on integrating Ukraine into NATO with an anti-Russian agenda do not justify Russian aggression but place the West within the scope of responsibility for the largest European war since WWII. Extending the war has harmed Ukraine most significantly in terms of human losses and catastrophic consequences. It has also made peace harder, likely resulting in worse terms for Ukraine over time. The prolonged conflict brought results opposite to those intended. The biggest loser of the war is Ukraine, followed by Europe, which adopted an overly aggressive stance instead of leading a search for a way out of the crisis. While the US may have found markets for its hydrocarbons and succeeded in expanding NATO with Sweden and Finland’s accession, the truth is that events are pointing towards a strategic defeat for the collective West. This so-called ‘Western war party,’ as Lygeros aptly describes the politicians and governments who fanatically supported the war, bear tremendous responsibility for the adverse developments. They attempt to escalate the war and spread fear of an impending generalized Russian invasion of Europe to cover up their failures. Despite the condemnation of Russia’s invasion, the truth remains that competition with Russia drove the West to this war, not principles or values. Otherwise, we wouldn’t see such a stark contrast in Western attitudes towards the war in Ukraine compared to Turkey’s aggression. The EU once again appeared self-centered and failed to take timely initiatives for its continent, focusing instead on ceasefire, ending the war, and returning to negotiations, possibly based on the Minsk agreements.