Von der Leyen laid out policies strikingly similar to those that United States President Joe Biden has advocated. She promised that the European Union would respond to Russian aggression by imposing economic sanctions, restricting technology, and increasing energy independence. Most important, she promised solidarity. She expressed a view that united action could help preserve peace. Armed conflict among nuclear powers seems unthinkable.
International Cooperation
That, no doubt, is why von der Leyen pleaded that the purpose of international cooperation is, ultimately, so that nations may stay at peace with one another:
“The very reason why our Union was created is to put an end to all European wars. So it is particularly painful for me to address you today, as we face the largest build-up of troops on European soil since the darkest days of the Cold War.”In vivid language, she placed blame for the crisis squarely where it belongs, on the Russian government:
“The people of Ukraine are bravely trying to get on with their lives. But many of them keep emergency bags by their front doors, with basic clothes and important documents, in case they have to rush away from home. Others have stockpiled food cans to prepare for the worst. Some have even set up shelters in their basements. These are not stories from the 1940s. This is Europe in 2022. And this is happening because of a deliberate policy of the Russian leadership.”For her proposed solution, she described the high level of international cooperation – of unity:
“President Macron [of France] and Chancellor Scholz [of Germany] have travelled to Kyiv and Moscow. Several others are also speaking to both sides. I am constantly exchanging with all of them, as well as with President Biden, Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Johnson. The Transatlantic Community has for a long time not been so united.”
Will Economic And Political Unity Be Enough?
Von der Leyen also described Europe’s efforts to gain at least temporary energy independence. Since few European countries have commercially useful oil supplies, they need to import almost all of their oil. In normal times, much of Europe’s oil comes from Russia. Therefore, von der Leyen described a joint European plan to stockpile oil reserves, ensuring adequate supplies from non-Russian sources.
Nearing her speech’s end, von der Leyen offered a message of hope. On the one hand, Russia could, she suggested, precipitate a terrible war. On the other hand, Russia can cooperate with other nations, bringing peace and prosperity to everyone. Here message of hope came with a stark choice:
“This is a crisis that has been created by Moscow. We have not chosen confrontation, but we are prepared for it. We now have two distinct futures ahead of us. In one, the Kremlin decides to wage war against Ukraine, with massive human costs – something we thought we had left behind after the tragedies of the twentieth century. Moscow's relations with us would be severely damaged. Tough sanctions would kick in, with dire consequences on the Russian economy and its prospect of modernisation. But another future is possible. A future in which Russia and Europe cooperate on their shared interests. A future where free countries work together in peace.”And she added that, “Europe will be united, on the side of Ukraine, on the side of peace, on the side of Europe's people.”
I often reflect that we, the people of the world, and particularly the United States, have filled ourselves with overconfidence. Although we have had very few years of true peace, we have, for decades, avoided another world war. Many people seem oblivious to the danger – having forgotten that the history of the 20th century was, for the most part, a history of unimaginable brutality and mass-produced suffering. During World Wars I and II, entire towns ceased to exist and disease, starvation, massacres, and, of course, military combat, killed people by the millions. Peace continues only if human beings show some modicum of goodwill and common sense. History gives me little reason to be confident about either. Wisdom is, after all, not a universal human trait.
The President of the European Union does not really have a lot of political power. She does, however, have the power of rhetoric. When she speaks, people listen. Are we listening enough? Von der Leyen appealed for unity. We need prominent speakers to talk about that kind of thing more and more often.
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Earlier Post: President Ursula von der Leyen's Speech at the European Energy Award
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Political Note: Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France all have thermonuclear arsenals. No one wants to use them. Nevertheless, a return to the nuclear brinksmanship of the 1960s could easily become a terrifying prospect. The horrors of 20th century wars were unspeakable. World War III could end human civilization. Children today have active shooter drills. In my childhood, we had nuclear attack drills and took lessons about how to improvise a bomb shelter in 20 minutes. Not that either would do any good.
The political issue in Ukraine is by no means clear-cut, as Ukraine itself is not unified against the Russian threat. Solving that problem, however, is far beyond the expertise of a retired public speaking professor like me. My maternal grandparents were born in occupied areas of Ukraine in the early 1900s. I certainly hope that their homeland can yet avoid disaster. Ukraine has suffered so very much for so many centuries.
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Note to My Fellow Americans: Here in the United States, we are hearing a lot about what President Biden plans to do about Russia. In contrast, Von der Leyden reminds us that the free nations of the world are in this together.
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Research Note: My former professor, Charles Urban Larson, wrote that persuaders can use a unifying style or a pragmatic style. The pragmatic style can lead to conflict. The unifying style gives us a chance to work together.
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