24 FEBRUARY 2022, SHANK NEWS - TONIGHT EUROPE IS TENSE, I AM TENSE. HELL, ARSENAL JUST DEFEATED WOLVES IN AN EPIC PREMIER LEAGUE GAME, BUT IT MATTERS NOT A JOT. TODAY RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE, AND VLADIMIR PUTIN MADE A DIRECT THREAT TO THE WEST, SUGGESTING HE WOULD USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN EUROPE. WE HAVE ALL LIVED THROUGH THE QUITE HARROWING TWO YEARS OF THE COVID19 PANDEMIC, BUT VERY FEW OF US ALIVE NOW HAVE LIVED THROUGH A WORLD WAR, AND TONIGHT, I FEAR WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF A CATASTROPHIC CONFLICT AND THE FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN.
OVER 30 YEARS AFTER THE BREAKUP OF THE SOVIET UNION, IT IS CLEAR THAT PUTIN HAS A DREAM TO REFORM THE 'UNION' AND REIGN OVER EUROPE, HE MUST BE STOPPED.
UKRAINE SECURED ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM RUSSIA IN 1991 AND IN A RAMBLING SPEECH EARLIER THIS WEEK PUTIN STATED HE DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS A NATION AND HE MORE OR LESS SAID HE WANTED TO CLAIM IT BACK, UNDER THE GUISE OF OPPOSING UKRAINIAN MEMBERSHIP OF NATO.
Vladimir Putin BECAME RUSSIAN PRESIDENT IN 1999, AND WAS IN OFFICE ORIGINALLY UNTIL 2008, SERVING AS PRIME MINISTER UNTIL 2012 BEFORE TAKING THE PRESIDENCY IN 2012. THE 69-YEAR-OLD HAS EFFECTIVELY BEEN LEADER OF RUSSIA FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND THE FORMER KGB MEMBER IS NOW LOOKING TO SECURE HIS LEGACY FOR RUSSIA BY REFORMING THE SOVIET UNION.
THE INVASION BEGAN LATE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT/EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AND 137 PEOPLE HAVE DIED AND OVER 100,000 (SOURCE: UN) HAVE BEEN DISPLACED WITHIN 24 HOURS.
RUSSIA IS A NUCLEAR POWER AND AS SUCH THE WEST IS LOATHED TO WANT TO GET INTO A HEAD TO HEAD CONFLICT WITH THE NATION WHICH BRIDGES EUROPE AND ASIA, WITH A BORDER WITH CHINA. SO THE LEADERS OF THE UK, USA, EU AND GERMANY AMONG OTHERS HAVE IMPOSED SEVERE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, MAINLY FINANCIAL, IN AN ATTEMPT TO CRIPPLE THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM. BUT IT SEEMS PUTIN DOES NOT CARE, HE WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO ACHIEVE HIS DREAMS.
OVER 30 YEARS AFTER THE BREAKUP OF THE SOVIET UNION, IT IS CLEAR THAT PUTIN HAS A DREAM TO REFORM THE 'UNION' AND REIGN OVER EUROPE, HE MUST BE STOPPED.
UKRAINE SECURED ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM RUSSIA IN 1991 AND IN A RAMBLING SPEECH EARLIER THIS WEEK PUTIN STATED HE DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS A NATION AND HE MORE OR LESS SAID HE WANTED TO CLAIM IT BACK, UNDER THE GUISE OF OPPOSING UKRAINIAN MEMBERSHIP OF NATO.
Vladimir Putin BECAME RUSSIAN PRESIDENT IN 1999, AND WAS IN OFFICE ORIGINALLY UNTIL 2008, SERVING AS PRIME MINISTER UNTIL 2012 BEFORE TAKING THE PRESIDENCY IN 2012. THE 69-YEAR-OLD HAS EFFECTIVELY BEEN LEADER OF RUSSIA FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND THE FORMER KGB MEMBER IS NOW LOOKING TO SECURE HIS LEGACY FOR RUSSIA BY REFORMING THE SOVIET UNION.
THE INVASION BEGAN LATE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT/EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AND 137 PEOPLE HAVE DIED AND OVER 100,000 (SOURCE: UN) HAVE BEEN DISPLACED WITHIN 24 HOURS.
RUSSIA IS A NUCLEAR POWER AND AS SUCH THE WEST IS LOATHED TO WANT TO GET INTO A HEAD TO HEAD CONFLICT WITH THE NATION WHICH BRIDGES EUROPE AND ASIA, WITH A BORDER WITH CHINA. SO THE LEADERS OF THE UK, USA, EU AND GERMANY AMONG OTHERS HAVE IMPOSED SEVERE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, MAINLY FINANCIAL, IN AN ATTEMPT TO CRIPPLE THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM. BUT IT SEEMS PUTIN DOES NOT CARE, HE WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO ACHIEVE HIS DREAMS.
"Whoever tries to hinder us ... should know that Russia's response will be immediate. And it will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history."
A TRULY TERRIFYING THREAT MADE BY THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT TO THE WORLD.
NOW WE NEED OUR LEADERS TO BE RESPONSIBLE, CALM AND CAPABLE.
THE TRUE RAMIFICATIONS OF A MISSTEP NOW COULD MEAN A COMPLETE CATASTROPHE FOR EUROPE.
SO FOR NOW SANCTIONS ARE THE ONLY THING THE WEST CAN USE TO COUNTER THIS ILLEGAL INVASION.
NOW WE NEED OUR LEADERS TO BE RESPONSIBLE, CALM AND CAPABLE.
THE TRUE RAMIFICATIONS OF A MISSTEP NOW COULD MEAN A COMPLETE CATASTROPHE FOR EUROPE.
SO FOR NOW SANCTIONS ARE THE ONLY THING THE WEST CAN USE TO COUNTER THIS ILLEGAL INVASION.
OTHER ACTS OF DIPLOMACY AND SANCTIONS TO DETER AND PUNISH RUSSIA SHOULD INCLUDE THE COMPLETE GLOBAL CESSATION OF TRADE WITH RUSSIA, WE NEED TO CRIPPLE THEIR ECONOMY TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CONSIDER RETREATING, OR ENCOURAGE THE RUSSIANS THEMSELVES TO RISE UP AGAINST THIS EVIL DICTATOR, MAKE NO MISTAKE THAT IS WHAT PUTIN IS.
ALL TRAVEL TO AND FROM RUSSIA WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION MUST END IMMEDIATELY AND NOT RESUME UNTIL THE CRISIS IS RESOLVED, AND THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ANNOUNCED AEROFLOT HAS BEEN BANNED FROM THE UK.
RUSSIA TODAY, RT MUST HAVE ITS UK BROADCAST LICENSE REVOKED AND BANNED FROM OPERATING IN THE UK FOREVER. TO HAVE A RUSSIAN MEDIA COMPANY BROADCASTING TO PEOPLE IN THE UK DURING THIS CRISIS IS COMPLETELY UNTENABLE, AND REMOVING IT WOULD HIT THE GLOBAL RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA.
SPORT MUST PLAY ITS PART, AND FOOTBALL IN PARTICULAR.
RUSSIA SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE SPORT TO SHOWCASE ITSELF ON THE GLOBAL STAGE, AND THERE IS NO GREATER GLOBAL STAGE THAN FOOTBALL. UEFA IS SET TO MEET ON FRIDAY MORNING AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL FROM ST PETERSBURG TO ANOTHER EUROPEAN CITY, A MOVE WHICH MUST BE JUST THE FIRST OF MANY STEPS ALONG THE WAY TO EXILING RUSSIA FROM WORLD SPORT.
UEFA MUST END ITS AGREEMENT WITH GAZPROM AND BAN ALL RUSSIAN CLUBS FROM UEFA CLUB COMPETITIONS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, TO HAVE A RUSSIAN COMPANY INVESTING IN THE GOVERNING BODY OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL IS COMPLETELY UNTENABLE AND TO HAVE THE NATION'S CLUBS COMPETING IN THE CLUB COMPETITIONS OF EUROPE CANNOT CONTINUE IN THIS CURRENT SITUATION. EXPELLING RUSSIAN CLUBS WOULD BOTH BE A PUNISHMENT AND AN ACTION TO AVOID SEEING FIXTURES PLAYED IN RUSSIA OR ON EUROPEAN SOIL.
FIFA AND UEFA MUST EXPEL RUSSIA FROM ALL LEVELS OF INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION, INCLUDING THE UPCOMING FIFA WORLD CUP PLAYOFFS. RUSSIA ARE SET TO TAKE ON POLAND IN THE FIFA WORLD CUP PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND NEXT MONTH, AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN, RUSSIA SHOULD BE EXILED FROM WORLD FOOTBALL. POLAND, SWEDEN AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC FOOTBALL FEDERATIONS HAVE ALL CALLED FOR RUSSIA TO BE EXPELLED FROM THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP.
THE PREMIER LEAGUE MUST REQUEST ROMAN ABRAMOVICH SELLS CHELSEA FC, AND THAT ALL MEMBER CLUBS SELL ANY SHARES HELD BY RUSSIAN CITIZENS, AND IMPOSE A BAN ON RUSSIAN INVESTMENT INTO PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THE EFL MUST FOLLOW SUIT. THE PREMIER LEAGUE IS THE WORLD'S MOST WATCHED LEAGUE, OR SPORTS PROPERTY, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE GIVING RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRES THE CHANCE TO SPREAD RUSSIAN MONEY OR PROPAGANDA ACROSS THE GLOBE TO OVER 4 BILLION VIEWERS.
FORMULA 1 MUST REMOVE THE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, SOMETHING WHICH 4-TIME FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPION SEBASTIEN VETTEL HAS CALLED FOR. F1 HAS A TRULY GLOBAL TELEVISION AUDIENCE, WITH OVR 70 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHING EACH GRAND PRIX ON AVERAGE, IT WOULD BE A HUGE BLOW TO RUSSIA AND STOP THEM FROM PROJECTING A CIVILISED SOCIETY ON THE GLOBAL STAGE.
THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE MUST EXPEL THE RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE AND ITS ATHLETES, AND PROHIBIT RUSSIA FROM BIDDING TO HOST ANY FUTURE OLYMPIC GAMES. FOR MANY YEARS THE RUSSIAN ATHLETES HAVE CHEATED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE OLYMPICS, GIVEN CHANCE AFTER CHANCE TO REFORM, NOW THEY MUST FACE THE ULTIMATE PAIN. AN INDEFINITE WORLDWIDE BAN FROM THE SPORTING COMMUNITY.
SPORT MUST PRESENT A UNITED FRONT AND CONDEMN RUSSIA PUBLICLY, RUSSIA MUST NEVER AGAIN BE ALLOWED TO HOST A MAJOR SPORTS SHOWCASE WHILST PUTIN IS PRESIDENT AND THE WHOLE SPORTS WORLD MUST UNITE IN STANDARDS WHICH MUST BE MET BY PROSPECTIVE HOST NATIONS AND CITIES OF MAJOR EVENTS, RUSSIA SHOULD BE WIPED FROM THE GLOBAL SPORTS LANDSCAPE IN THE SAME WAY SOUTH AFRICA WAS DURING APARTHEID.
MUCH HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF SPORTSWASHING IN THE MIDDLE EAST RECENTLY, RUSSIA HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH IT FOR DECADES, LEGITIMISING ITS DICTATORSHIP AND EMBOLDENING THE COUNTRY. FROM MOSCOW 1980 TO SOCHI 2014, FROM 2008 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL TO THE 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP, FROM FORMULA 1 TO THE 2013 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS, RUSSIA HAS USED STAGING MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS TO LEGITIMISE ITS GOVERNMENT AND ITS OUTLOOK ON THE WORLD.
JUST AS SPORT HAS THE POWER TO RAISE ISSUES AND TO TACKLE INEQUALITY, RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION, SPORT HAS THE POWER TO HELP BRING DOWN EVIL REGIMES. THE POWER OF SPORT CAN BE CRITICAL IN HOW THE WEST TACKLES RUSSIA.
ALL TRAVEL TO AND FROM RUSSIA WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION MUST END IMMEDIATELY AND NOT RESUME UNTIL THE CRISIS IS RESOLVED, AND THE PRIME MINISTER HAS ANNOUNCED AEROFLOT HAS BEEN BANNED FROM THE UK.
RUSSIA TODAY, RT MUST HAVE ITS UK BROADCAST LICENSE REVOKED AND BANNED FROM OPERATING IN THE UK FOREVER. TO HAVE A RUSSIAN MEDIA COMPANY BROADCASTING TO PEOPLE IN THE UK DURING THIS CRISIS IS COMPLETELY UNTENABLE, AND REMOVING IT WOULD HIT THE GLOBAL RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA.
SPORT MUST PLAY ITS PART, AND FOOTBALL IN PARTICULAR.
RUSSIA SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE SPORT TO SHOWCASE ITSELF ON THE GLOBAL STAGE, AND THERE IS NO GREATER GLOBAL STAGE THAN FOOTBALL. UEFA IS SET TO MEET ON FRIDAY MORNING AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL FROM ST PETERSBURG TO ANOTHER EUROPEAN CITY, A MOVE WHICH MUST BE JUST THE FIRST OF MANY STEPS ALONG THE WAY TO EXILING RUSSIA FROM WORLD SPORT.
UEFA MUST END ITS AGREEMENT WITH GAZPROM AND BAN ALL RUSSIAN CLUBS FROM UEFA CLUB COMPETITIONS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, TO HAVE A RUSSIAN COMPANY INVESTING IN THE GOVERNING BODY OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL IS COMPLETELY UNTENABLE AND TO HAVE THE NATION'S CLUBS COMPETING IN THE CLUB COMPETITIONS OF EUROPE CANNOT CONTINUE IN THIS CURRENT SITUATION. EXPELLING RUSSIAN CLUBS WOULD BOTH BE A PUNISHMENT AND AN ACTION TO AVOID SEEING FIXTURES PLAYED IN RUSSIA OR ON EUROPEAN SOIL.
FIFA AND UEFA MUST EXPEL RUSSIA FROM ALL LEVELS OF INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION, INCLUDING THE UPCOMING FIFA WORLD CUP PLAYOFFS. RUSSIA ARE SET TO TAKE ON POLAND IN THE FIFA WORLD CUP PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND NEXT MONTH, AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN, RUSSIA SHOULD BE EXILED FROM WORLD FOOTBALL. POLAND, SWEDEN AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC FOOTBALL FEDERATIONS HAVE ALL CALLED FOR RUSSIA TO BE EXPELLED FROM THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP.
THE PREMIER LEAGUE MUST REQUEST ROMAN ABRAMOVICH SELLS CHELSEA FC, AND THAT ALL MEMBER CLUBS SELL ANY SHARES HELD BY RUSSIAN CITIZENS, AND IMPOSE A BAN ON RUSSIAN INVESTMENT INTO PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THE EFL MUST FOLLOW SUIT. THE PREMIER LEAGUE IS THE WORLD'S MOST WATCHED LEAGUE, OR SPORTS PROPERTY, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE GIVING RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRES THE CHANCE TO SPREAD RUSSIAN MONEY OR PROPAGANDA ACROSS THE GLOBE TO OVER 4 BILLION VIEWERS.
FORMULA 1 MUST REMOVE THE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, SOMETHING WHICH 4-TIME FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPION SEBASTIEN VETTEL HAS CALLED FOR. F1 HAS A TRULY GLOBAL TELEVISION AUDIENCE, WITH OVR 70 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHING EACH GRAND PRIX ON AVERAGE, IT WOULD BE A HUGE BLOW TO RUSSIA AND STOP THEM FROM PROJECTING A CIVILISED SOCIETY ON THE GLOBAL STAGE.
THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE MUST EXPEL THE RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE AND ITS ATHLETES, AND PROHIBIT RUSSIA FROM BIDDING TO HOST ANY FUTURE OLYMPIC GAMES. FOR MANY YEARS THE RUSSIAN ATHLETES HAVE CHEATED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE OLYMPICS, GIVEN CHANCE AFTER CHANCE TO REFORM, NOW THEY MUST FACE THE ULTIMATE PAIN. AN INDEFINITE WORLDWIDE BAN FROM THE SPORTING COMMUNITY.
SPORT MUST PRESENT A UNITED FRONT AND CONDEMN RUSSIA PUBLICLY, RUSSIA MUST NEVER AGAIN BE ALLOWED TO HOST A MAJOR SPORTS SHOWCASE WHILST PUTIN IS PRESIDENT AND THE WHOLE SPORTS WORLD MUST UNITE IN STANDARDS WHICH MUST BE MET BY PROSPECTIVE HOST NATIONS AND CITIES OF MAJOR EVENTS, RUSSIA SHOULD BE WIPED FROM THE GLOBAL SPORTS LANDSCAPE IN THE SAME WAY SOUTH AFRICA WAS DURING APARTHEID.
MUCH HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF SPORTSWASHING IN THE MIDDLE EAST RECENTLY, RUSSIA HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH IT FOR DECADES, LEGITIMISING ITS DICTATORSHIP AND EMBOLDENING THE COUNTRY. FROM MOSCOW 1980 TO SOCHI 2014, FROM 2008 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL TO THE 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP, FROM FORMULA 1 TO THE 2013 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS, RUSSIA HAS USED STAGING MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS TO LEGITIMISE ITS GOVERNMENT AND ITS OUTLOOK ON THE WORLD.
JUST AS SPORT HAS THE POWER TO RAISE ISSUES AND TO TACKLE INEQUALITY, RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION, SPORT HAS THE POWER TO HELP BRING DOWN EVIL REGIMES. THE POWER OF SPORT CAN BE CRITICAL IN HOW THE WEST TACKLES RUSSIA.
EUROPE MUST UNITE, THE EUROPEAN UNION MUST ADAPT, CHANGE AND EXPAND.
WHILST PUTIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DICTATOR WITH LITTLE RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OF HIS OWN CITIZENS, THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT HE HAS BEEN EMBOLDENED BY PERCEIVED DISUNITY ACROSS EUROPE, WITH BREXIT AT THE HEART OF IT AND THE ANTI-EUROPEAN SENTIMENT OF MANY IN THE MEDIA AND SEVERAL PARTIES WHO WOULD DESTROY THE EUROPEAN PROJECT, ALONG WITH THE FAILURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO EXPAND QUICKLY ENOUGH AND THE LACK OF A EUROPEAN ARMY. THE FEAR-MONGERING OF THE EURO SCEPTICS ABOUT TURKEY JOINING THE EU AND THE EU ARMY IS NOW COMING BACK TO BITE US IN THE ARSE, A UNITED EUROPE WOULD BE ABLE TO STARE DOWN RUSSIA, AND ANTI-NATO SENTIMENT FROM SEVERAL PROMINENT UK POLITICIANS ALSO EMBOLDENS PUTIN.
THERE ARE 55 NATIONS IN THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT AND ONLY 27 OF THEM ARE MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, SOME NEVER JOINED, SOME LEFT AND SOME HAVE WANTED TO JOIN, BUT THE PROCESS FOR APPROVING CANDIDATE NATIONS IS FAR TOO SLOW AND YES, THE LIKES OF TURKEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO JOIN, WITH A TEMPORARY MEMBERSHIP FOR A PERIOD TO ENABLE THEM TO ADHERE TO THE STANDARDS REQUIRED OF MEMBER NATIONS. BRINGING THE WHOLE OF EUROPE TOGETHER AS INDEPENDENT NATION STATES WITHIN A UNION BOUND TOGETHER TO PROTECT EACH OTHER ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY AND MILITARILY CAN ONLY BE A GOOD THING FOR THE WORLD.
OVER 75 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE WINSTON CHURCHILL ADDRESSED THE UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH IN 1946, AND CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF A "KIND OF UNITED STATES OF EUROPE". BELOW IS THE SPEECH IN FULL:
WHILST PUTIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DICTATOR WITH LITTLE RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OF HIS OWN CITIZENS, THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT HE HAS BEEN EMBOLDENED BY PERCEIVED DISUNITY ACROSS EUROPE, WITH BREXIT AT THE HEART OF IT AND THE ANTI-EUROPEAN SENTIMENT OF MANY IN THE MEDIA AND SEVERAL PARTIES WHO WOULD DESTROY THE EUROPEAN PROJECT, ALONG WITH THE FAILURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO EXPAND QUICKLY ENOUGH AND THE LACK OF A EUROPEAN ARMY. THE FEAR-MONGERING OF THE EURO SCEPTICS ABOUT TURKEY JOINING THE EU AND THE EU ARMY IS NOW COMING BACK TO BITE US IN THE ARSE, A UNITED EUROPE WOULD BE ABLE TO STARE DOWN RUSSIA, AND ANTI-NATO SENTIMENT FROM SEVERAL PROMINENT UK POLITICIANS ALSO EMBOLDENS PUTIN.
THERE ARE 55 NATIONS IN THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT AND ONLY 27 OF THEM ARE MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, SOME NEVER JOINED, SOME LEFT AND SOME HAVE WANTED TO JOIN, BUT THE PROCESS FOR APPROVING CANDIDATE NATIONS IS FAR TOO SLOW AND YES, THE LIKES OF TURKEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO JOIN, WITH A TEMPORARY MEMBERSHIP FOR A PERIOD TO ENABLE THEM TO ADHERE TO THE STANDARDS REQUIRED OF MEMBER NATIONS. BRINGING THE WHOLE OF EUROPE TOGETHER AS INDEPENDENT NATION STATES WITHIN A UNION BOUND TOGETHER TO PROTECT EACH OTHER ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY AND MILITARILY CAN ONLY BE A GOOD THING FOR THE WORLD.
OVER 75 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE WINSTON CHURCHILL ADDRESSED THE UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH IN 1946, AND CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF A "KIND OF UNITED STATES OF EUROPE". BELOW IS THE SPEECH IN FULL:
"What is this plight to which Europe has been reduced? Some of the smaller states have indeed made a good recovery, but over wide areas are a vast, quivering mass of tormented, hungry, careworn and bewildered human beings, who wait in the ruins of their cities and homes and scan the dark horizons for the approach of some new form of tyranny or terror. Among the victors there is a Babel of voices, among the vanquished the sullen silence of despair. That is all that Europeans, grouped in so many ancient states and nations, and that is all that the Germanic races have got by tearing each other to pieces and spreading havoc far and wide. Indeed, but for the fact that the great republic across the Atlantic realised that the ruin or enslavement of Europe would involve her own fate as well, and stretched out hands of succour and guidance, the Dark Ages would have returned in all their cruelty and squalor. They may still return.
Yet all the while there is a remedy which, if it were generally and spontaneously adopted by the great majority of people in many lands, would as by a miracle transform the whole scene and would in a few years make all Europe, or the greater part of it, as free and happy as Switzerland is today. What is this sovereign remedy? It is to recreate the European family, or as much of it as we can, and to provide it with a structure under which it can dwell in peace, safety and freedom. We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living. The process is simple. All that is needed is the resolve of hundreds of millions of men and women to do right instead of wrong and to gain as their reward blessing instead of cursing.
Much work has been done upon this task by the exertions of the Pan-European Union, which owes so much to the famous French patriot and statesman Aristide Briand. There is also that immense body which was brought into being amidst high hopes after the First World War — the League of Nations. The League did not fail because of its principles or conceptions. It failed because those principles were deserted by those states which brought it into being, because the governments of those states feared to face the facts and act while time remained. This disaster must not be repeated. There is, therefore, much knowledge and material with which to build and also bitter, dearly bought experience to spur.
There is no reason why a regional organisation of Europe should in any way conflict with the world organisation of the United Nations. On the contrary, I believe that the larger synthesis can only survive if it is founded upon broad natural groupings. There is already a natural grouping in the Western Hemisphere. We British have our own Commonwealth of Nations. These do not weaken, on the contrary they strengthen, the world organisation. They are in fact its main support. And why should there not be a European group which could give a sense of enlarged patriotism and common citizenship to the distracted peoples of this mighty continent? And why should it not take its rightful place with other great groupings and help to shape the honourable destiny of man? In order that this may be accomplished there must be an act of faith in which the millions of families speaking many languages must consciously take part.
There is no reason why a regional organisation of Europe should in any way conflict with the world organisation of the United Nations. On the contrary, I believe that the larger synthesis can only survive if it is founded upon broad natural groupings. There is already a natural grouping in the Western Hemisphere. We British have our own Commonwealth of Nations. These do not weaken, on the contrary they strengthen, the world organisation. They are in fact its main support. And why should there not be a European group which could give a sense of enlarged patriotism and common citizenship to the distracted peoples of this mighty continent? And why should it not take its rightful place with other great groupings and help to shape the honourable destiny of man? In order that this may be accomplished there must be an act of faith in which the millions of families speaking many languages must consciously take part.
We all know that the two World Wars through which we have passed arose out of the vain passion of Germany to play a dominating part in the world. In this last struggle crimes and massacres have been committed for which there is no parallel since the Mongol invasion of the 13th century, no equal at any time in human history. The guilty must be punished. Germany must be deprived of the power to rearm and make another aggressive war. But when all this has been done, as it will be done, as it is being done, there must be an end to retribution. There must be what Mr Gladstone many years ago called a “blessed act of oblivion”. We must all turn our backs upon the horrors of the past and look to the future. We cannot afford to drag forward across the years to come hatreds and revenges which have sprung from the injuries of the past.
If Europe is to be saved from infinite misery, and indeed from final doom, there must be this act of faith in the European family, this act of oblivion against all crimes and follies of the past. Can the peoples of Europe rise to the heights of the soul and of the instinct and spirit of man? If they could, the wrongs and injuries which have been inflicted would have been washed away on all sides by the miseries which have been endured. Is there any need for further floods of agony? Is the only lesson of history to be that mankind is unteachable? Let there be justice, mercy and freedom. The peoples have only to will it and all will achieve their heart’s desire.
If Europe is to be saved from infinite misery, and indeed from final doom, there must be this act of faith in the European family, this act of oblivion against all crimes and follies of the past. Can the peoples of Europe rise to the heights of the soul and of the instinct and spirit of man? If they could, the wrongs and injuries which have been inflicted would have been washed away on all sides by the miseries which have been endured. Is there any need for further floods of agony? Is the only lesson of history to be that mankind is unteachable? Let there be justice, mercy and freedom. The peoples have only to will it and all will achieve their heart’s desire.
I am now going to say something that will astonish you. The first step in the re-creation of the European family must be a partnership between France and Germany. In this way only can France recover the moral and cultural leadership of Europe. There can be no revival of Europe without a spiritually great France and a spiritually great Germany. The structure of the United States of Europe will be such as to make the material strength of a single State less important. Small nations will count as much as large ones and gain their honour by a contribution to the common cause. The ancient States and principalities of Germany, freely joined for mutual convenience in a federal system, might take their individual places among the United States of Europe.
But I must give you warning, time may be short. At present there is a breathing space. The cannons have ceased firing. The fighting has stopped. But the dangers have not stopped. If we are to form a United States of Europe, or whatever name it may take, we must begin now. In these present days we dwell strangely and precariously under the shield, and I even say protection, of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb is still only in the hands of a nation which, we know, will never use it except in the cause of right and freedom, but it may well be that in a few years this awful agency of destruction will be widespread and that the catastrophe following from its use by several warring nations will not only bring to an end all that we call civilisation but may possibly disintegrate the globe itself.
I now sum up the propositions which are before you. Our constant aim must be to build and fortify the United Nations Organisation. Under and within that world concept we must re-create the European family in a regional structure called, it may be, the United States of Europe, and the first practical step will be to form a Council of Europe. If at first all the States of Europe are not willing or able to join a union we must nevertheless proceed to assemble and combine those who will and who can. The salvation of the common people of every race and every land from war and servitude must be established on solid foundations, and must be created by the readiness of all men and women to die rather than to submit to tyranny. In this urgent work France and Germany must take the lead together. Great Britain, the British Commonwealth of Nations, mighty America — and, I trust, Soviet Russia, for then indeed all would be well — must be the friends and sponsors of the new Europe and must champion its right to live.
Therefore I say to you “Let Europe arise!”
6 YEARS AFTER THE UK VOTED TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION ON THE BACK OF MASS DISINFORMATION, MUCH OF IT SPREAD BY OUR RECKLESS AND UNFIT PRIME MINISTER, THE EUROPEAN UNION IS WEAKER, LESS UNITED AND A DISUNITED EUROPE HAS EMBOLDENED PUTIN, WE NEED TO UNITE AND FULFIL THE IDEA OF A UNITED STATES OF EUROPE, OR FACE RUSSIA TAKING OVER UKRAINE, ESTONIA, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, MOLDOVA, GEORGIA AND AZERBAIJAN, and WHO SAYS THEY WOULD STOP THERE? TURKEY AND POLAND MUST ALSO BE SEEN AS POTENTIAL COUNTRIES RUSSIA WOULD TRY TO OCCUPY TO ENCIRCLE THE ENTIRE EUROPEAN UNION. WE HAVE TO LEARN FROM HISTORY AND WE HAVE TO UNITE AS INDEPENDENT NATION STATES TO PROTECT EACH OTHER AND DRIVE CHANGE ON THE WORLD STAGE, IT IS OUR DUTY AND IT IS A NECESSITY. 
