"The actors in the
Russian-Ukrainian conflict at the moment are both exhausted. An
armistice seems likely to be reached, but this may not happen
before the US elections: the outcome will influence the kind of
truce." That is what historian and lecturer Andrea Graziosi said
yesterday in his lectio magistralis on the consequences of the
Cold War at the meeting "Commemorating the Cold War in Europe -
On the Traces of the Cold War in Europe," 2nd edition of the
International Forum being held in Udine June 13-15, with some of
the most authoritative experts on the subject, under the
scientific direction of Tommaso Piffer, professor at the
University of Udine. "The real weight of the Cold War today is
felt in Russia," Graziosi pointed out. "Instead, Ukraine
represents the attempt to get out of this legacy of the past,
and a growing part of the population has a pro-EU sensibility
and has already adopted the European way of life.
In contrast, "Russia suffers great disappointment from the
loss of superpower status," he pointed out, "but that status no
longer exists, and Russia has no hope of recovering it. Graziosi
then turned to the results of the European elections. "The
far-right political forces emerging in Europe," he pointed out,
"are parties that express genuine dissatisfaction, and we must
acknowledge this, but they have no agenda for improvement.
Rather, what they express leads to a general worsening."
"Indeed, the Cold War also weighs on the current politics of
several EU countries, such as Poland, Germany, and Hungary," the
historian continued. "Let's look, for example, at the results of
the European elections in Germany, especially in the former
German Democratic Republic," he pointed out, "where there is a
preponderance of votes from those who are not happy about
anything and are also opposed to a way of life to which they
came late and from which they finally feel excluded.
"Some of these countries," Graziosi continued, "entered the
West when the latter was already in crisis: it went better for
them than before, but they did not find what they hoped for.
So," he added, "disappointment and anger, in these countries,
often turns into a vote of rejection. And this worries," he
said, "because the future of Europe is at stake."
US historian Mark Kramer, director of Harvard University's
Center for Cold War Studies, also spoke yesterday at the forum,
which continues through tomorrow. Recalling the three-year
planning of the Forum, Kramer announced the stable organization
of a Summer School dedicated to these issues in Udine.
"Hopefully," he said, "the war in Europe will be over, and we
can explore the enduring issues that affect international
relations between countries, including wars."
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
