Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 10 april 2018
Kremlin aide: Russia’s centuries-long romance with West over

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV perhaps two or three cen-
Associated Press turies) of geopolitical loneli-
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia ness.”
has abandoned its centu- He lamented futile at-
ries-long aspirations of inte- tempts at Westernization by
grating into the West and past Russian rulers, noting
is bracing for a new era of that Russia has attempted
“geopolitical loneliness,” to imitate the Netherlands,
a top adviser to President France and the United
Vladimir Putin warned in a States and “edge into the
magazine article released West” during its history.
Monday. “Our elite perceived the
Vladislav Surkov wrote in ideas and trepidations
the piece for Russia in Glob- coming from it with a huge
al Affairs that “Russia’s epic and probably excessive
journey toward the West” enthusiasm,” Surkov said.
is over, marking an end to Not any more, he warned.
its “repeated vain attempts “Russia without doubt will
to become part of Western engage in trade, attract
civilization” over four cen- investments, exchange
turies. know-how and fight wars ...
Surkov’s article echoes compete and cooperate,
statements from Putin. The cause fear, hatred, curios-
Russian leader sought to ity, sympathy and admira-
forge close ties with the tion,” Surkov wrote. “But
West after his first election without false goals and self-
in 2000, but later grew in- denial.”
creasingly critical of the In this Feb. 13, 2012 file photo, , Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, speaks to Vladislav The 53-year-old Surkov,
United States and its NATO Surkov, deputy prime minister in charge of economic modernization, during a visit in Kurgan, a colorful character who
allies. He accuses them of Russia. admires American rapper
shunning Moscow’s offers Associated Press Tupac Shakur and has writ-
of cooperation and trying Surkov, a longtime Putin of Ukraine’s Crimean Pen- helped reduce the scale ten novels, ended his piece
to sideline and weaken his aide who served as his top insula and Moscow’s sup- of the hostilities in eastern on a somewhat enigmatic
country. strategist for many years port for separatists in east- Ukraine, but regular clashes note.
Russia-West ties have sunk and currently works as the ern Ukraine triggered U.S. have continued. “It’s going to be tough,”
to post-Cold War lows over presidential adviser on and European Union sanc- Surkov, who held several he said, adding that Rus-
the Ukrainian crisis, the war Ukraine, wrote: “Loneliness tions that together with a rounds of fruitless talks on sia will face a long journey
in Syria and other issues, doesn’t mean complete slump in global oil prices the Ukrainian crisis with U.S. “through the thorns to the
most recently the poisoning isolation,” but added that sent the Russian economy counterpart Kurt Volker, stars.”
of an ex-spy in Britain that Russia’s openness would into a two-year recession.A said 2014 marked a wa- “It’ll be fun,” Surkov wrote.
triggered mass expulsions be limited. 2015 peace deal brokered tershed that in his view “And we will see the
of diplomats. Russia’s 2014 annexation by France and Germany launched “a century (or stars.”q

France copes with more rail strikes as labor unions dig in

Associated Press sumption of regular domes- ros ($123 million) since the
PARIS (AP) — Commuters tic high-speed train service strikes started last week.
coped with another day for Tuesday, which is not set Several hundred union ac-
of disrupted train service in as a strike day. tivists protested in Paris as
France as labor unions in- SNCF said service would be legislators in the National
sisted Monday they would close to normal for interna- Assembly began debate
not back down from a se- tional lines, but 20 to 40 per- Monday on the rail reforms
ries of strikes that is expect- cent of trains not on high- sought by Macron’s gov-
ed to continue later in the speed domestic routes ernment.
week. would be canceled. A few protesters hurled
Some 80 percent of French The unions are protesting bottles, while others waved
high-speed trains were out French President Emmanu- flares or carried union flags
of operation as rail workers el Macron’s plans to revoke as riot police stood guard,
entered their fourth day of a special status that allows but the protest ended
what the unions promised rail drivers to retain jobs peacefully.
would be periodic rolling and other benefits for life. “First of all, we are defend-
strikes through June. The government wants to ing our status and that’s a
About one-quarter of inter- do away with the protec- real thing, and secondly,
national trains to and from tions to make the rail sector we are defending our pub-
France also were affected. French rail workers use flares during a demonstration in Paris, more competitive. lic services in France,” strik-
The next round of walkouts Monday, April 9, 2018. SNCF chief executive Guil- ing rail worker Kamel Aroup
is scheduled for Friday and Associated Press laume Pepy told BFM TV said. Supporters are crowd-
Saturday. four days per week. Monday at Paris’ Saint-Laz- channel the public rail funding online to help strik-
The unions have set a strike “It’s intolerable because are station. company, including its ing workers who are giving
schedule that calls for work we’re all working,” com- France’s national SNCF freight department, has up their wages during the
stoppages lasting two or muter Christelle Gedin said rail authority forecast a re- lost about 100 million eu- walkouts.q