David Cameron: Russia’s Actions Pose Grave Danger To Europe

David Cameron had harsh language for Russia because of Putin’s actions in the Ukraine, but he still has some optimism. The Prime Minister referenced former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev who said that the world on was on the verge of a new cold war. Cameron insists that a new cold war is not what the U.K. wants nor is it inevitable. Although Britain may not have a military solution, Cameron says that economic sanctions could stop Putin’s bad behavior.

According to BBC News, while at the Lord Mayor’s banquet, David Cameron talked about Russia to an audience of about 1,000 people.

“They [Russia] are ripping up the international rulebook and disregarding the democratic will of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future.”

Cameron later referenced Mikhail Gorbachev who said that the world was on the brink of a new cold war, just 25 years after the destruction of the Berlin Wall. According to the Daily News, Gorbachev claims that the original cold war never completely thawed. Instead, Western countries took on a spirit of “euphoria and triumphalism” that created ill-will among the suffering Russian people, putting the responsibility on Western leaders to build rapport with Moscow before it’s too late.

David Cameron sees things differently. He said that Western countries have to stand up to Russia, but not with military force.

“I don’t believe there is a military solution. But that is not the only tool available to us. Economic sanctions on Russia are having an impact. Capital has flown out of Russia, banks are short of finance, and the Russian stock market and Rouble have fallen significantly.”

Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, seems to be trying a few military solutions. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Russia allegedly sent a new convoy of tanks into the Ukraine, the latest in a long line of suspected military support to Ukrainian separatists. Unfortunately for David Cameron and the rest of Europe, Putin has also been forcing an ever increasing number of aerial encounters between NATO and Russian jets.

David Cameron is worried about the aggression, given Europe’s past. He explained his feelings further at the banquet.

“Russia’s actions pose a grave danger to the rest of Europe. We shouldn’t need to be reminded of the consequences of turning a blind eye when big countries in Europe bully smaller countries.”

It seems that David Cameron is working hard to find that perfect position, avoiding anything that sounds like appeasement, while not aggravating an already tense situation.

[Image Credit: Guillaume Paumier, CC-BY/Wikimedia Commons]