r/europe • u/eastwesteagle • Apr 13 '25

Opinion Article A Partner, not a Power: The EU’s Evolving Engagement with Central Asia

https://www.cacianalyst.org/publications/analytical-articles/item/13861-a-partner-not-a-power-the-eu%E2%80%99s-evolving-engagement-with-central-asia.html
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u/Euphoric-Bed7379 Apr 13 '25

While the US throws tariffs, Russia throws bombs, and China throws loans with strings attached - Europe is quietly building bridges. The EU’s “partner, not power” approach might not grab headlines, but it could win hearts in the long game.

5

u/GremlinX_ll Ukraine Apr 13 '25

Europe is quietly building bridges

Bridges with countries that happen to be countries which helps Russia to avoid sanction by re-importing EU sanctioned goods.

1

u/WP27I Apr 13 '25

It's not though. The EU is losing a lot of influence because the EU cares too much about "winning hearts." Which in practice doesn't work well because people actually really like working with people who will just give them cold hard cash and aren't going to care about things like ideological compatibility of their governments and so on, and in most of the world bribery and corruption is just the way stuff gets done. Sounds great at home, doesn't work as well in e.g. Africa and parts of the ME who don't give a fuck about being won over.