Russians could possibly take advantage of the lack of unity among Icelandic politicians regarding support of Western sanctions, asserts Pawel Bartoszek, a mathematician, in an interview with RÚV today. Our divided stance makes us vulnerable, he claims.
He believes our lack of unity encourages Russians to impose tougher measures against us in hopes of having the Icelandic government withdraw its support of Western sanctions. That, in turn, Pawel warns, could break the unity of Western nations, inspiring ultra-conservative political parties abroad to point to Iceland as an example of a nation that put its own economic interests first.
Pawel criticizes members of the Independence Party who would like to see Iceland withdraw its support of Western sanctions. He is especially critical of Morgunblaðið and its stance. In his opinion, all those critical of the sanctions must clarify whether they thereby would like to see the sales of weapons to Russia resume. He points out that the impact of Russia’s actions against Iceland is completely out of proportion compared to the impact Iceland’s policy has had on Russia.
Pawel, an Icelandic citizen of Polish origin, knows the threat of Russian expansionism well. He warns Icelanders: Russians are testing how much they can get away with. Being a country without an army, we rely on the support of Western nations in times of trouble. “If we avoid our responsibility and give in to the least of pressure, we can’t expect our allies to sacrifice their lives for us.”
