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pandemic 2

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TOWARDS A PERFECT STORM IN EUROPE

imposing peace so that each controls its own side – is now

falling apart, but Russia and Turkey remain in an ideal

position to exert pressure on Europe: the two countries

control the oil supply, as well as the flow of refugees, and

so can use both as a means of blackmail.

The devilish dance between Erdogan and Putin, from

conflict to alliance and back to conflict, should not deceive

us: both extremes are part of the same geopolitical game

at the expense of the Syrian people. Not only does neither

side care about their suffering, they both actively

exploit it. What cannot but strike the eye is the similarity

between Putin and Erdogan, who evermore stand for the

two versions of the same political regime, led by a composite

figure that we can call Putogan.

One should avoid the game of asking who is more

responsible, Erdogan or Putin, for the crisis. They are

both worse and should be treated as what they are: war

criminals using the suffering of millions and destroying

a country to ruthlessly pursue their goals, among which

is the destruction of a united Europe. Furthermore, they

are now doing this in the context of a global epidemic, a

time when global cooperation is more urgent than ever,

using the fear this induces as a means of pursuing their

military goals. In a world with a minimal sense of justice,

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