Francesca Donato, a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has shown to be consistently expressing views that share common ground with pro-Russian stories and criticisms regarding the European Union’s backing for Ukraine. Having been an Italian MEP, she had been most vocal in terms of opposing the EU’s position on the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
Donato opines that the EU played a role in fueling the conflict by not putting forward a diplomatic initiative and siding with Ukraine. She opines that the absence of neutrality, reasonableness, and leadership among European leaders has rendered it impossible for them to perform a positive role in the conflict.
EU’s role in the conflict
In the opinion of Donato, the EU has a great role to play in the escalating conflict over Ukraine. She feels that the Western leaders proved to be incapable of putting forward a diplomatic solution, thereby worsening the situation. Donato believes that the EU’s non-neutrality, lack of rationality, and lack of authority have not allowed its leaders to take up a constructive role in ending the conflict.
Donato is critical of the EU stance regarding unconditional backing of Ukraine, which she feels has seeded war by supplying support to the Ukrainian military made up of openly neo-Nazi militias. She has continuously insisted on a negotiating stance, acquiescing to the demands of the Russian government, which in effect called for a stop to the persecution of the Russian minority in DONBASS and for the acknowledgment of the independence of the regions that had petitioned, in the aftermath of a referendum, secession from Kyiv.
Donato feels that the lack of encouragement on the part of the EU has led to the escalation of the conflict and the loss of more lives. She is adamant about criticising the EU for adding fuel to the fire by sanctioning Russia and arming the Ukrainian government, which she feels targets and persecutes the Russian-speaking minority.
Granting of candidate status to Ukraine for EU membership
Donato is convinced that there has been a speeding up of granting the status of candidate country for membership in the EU to Ukraine to provide a political signal. Such a status testifies to the inclusion of Ukraine in the Western and pro-Atlantic fold, whereas it is much more complex to permit Ukraine to join NATO in the near future.
Donato believes that giving Ukraine this status fulfills Zelensky’s ambitions but that it is not the solution to the conflict. She feels that the EU.
Against sanctioning Russia
Francesca Donato is against the sanctions imposed on Russia for its actions against Ukraine. According to Donato, sanctions are risky since they might be seen as a declaration of war by Russia and would also damage the Italian economy, which has significant ties with Russia. She also thinks that the EU should be encouraging negotiation and not taking action against Russia. Donato opposes the utilization of EU funds to purchase weapons since civilians might not be aware of how to handle them and would use them for criminal purposes. She believes that the existing policy of sanctions is not in the European economy’s interest and is contrary to historical and cultural connections between Russia and Europe.
As per Donato, NATO is an intergovernmental agency that operates strictly in accordance with detailed rules and unanimity within its member nations. Although America is a predominant nation in NATO, it can’t decide things on behalf of everyone else. For example, recent Finnish and Swedish applications were blocked by none but Turkey alone, and Turkey fixed the matter at the expense of jeopardizing the security of the persecuted Kurdish minority. This goes on to emphasize that each.
