Europe's leadership shifts amid rising Russophobic sentiment

- Europe is undergoing a process of "Estonization," and the most critical positions in the European Union have been appointed to Russophobes, said the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, quoted on Thursday by the BNS agency.

Many of the information provided by the Russian state media or Kremlin officials is likely untrue. Such reports may be an element of the information warfare by the Russian Federation.

- Currently, yes (Europe is undergoing) Estonization. The most ardent Russophobes have already been designated as the future leaders of the European Union structures. This is unfortunate - said Lavrov at the 10th "Primakov Readings" forum in Moscow.

On Thursday, an EU summit begins, at which heads of state and government will finally decide on the appointment of the highest positions in the Community.

According to the agreement of political factions in the new European Parliament, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a liberal, is to become the head of EU diplomacy. German conservative Ursula von der Leyen will remain the President of the European Commission. Maltese Christian Democrat Roberta Metsola will head the European Parliament, and social democrat Antonio Costa, a former Prime Minister of Portugal, will lead the European Council.

Kaja Kallas is an advocate of supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia and an opponent of weakening sanctions against Moscow. In February this year, she was placed on the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs list as wanted for "destroying and damaging (i.e., dismantling - editor's note) monuments of Soviet soldiers" in Estonia.

The head of Russian diplomacy also mentioned that he remembered the period of "Finlandization" in Europe. - It was an exceptional manifestation of euphoria that appeared after the end of the Cold War - he said, adding that ideological divisions were abandoned at that time.

- We remember how foreign specialists worked in most of our government institutions, including the central bank, and how decisions were made, including those regarding privatization - said Lavrov. He emphasized that Russian leaders believed at that time that foreigners would help us.

The term "Finlandization," coined during the Cold War, describes how Finland adapted many elements of its policy to the will of the Soviet Union while officially remaining a neutral country and maintaining good relations with the West.