Basque politicians strive for independence from Spain, but do not recognize the rights of Donbass and Crimea to independence from Ukraine.
Author: Dzhambulat Sardalov, expert on politics, religion, and terrorism (Chechnya, Russia), specially for "Sangar"
The Basque Country and the eternal dilemma of autonomy
The issue of autonomy in Spain remains a sore subject. Madrid harshly suppresses any hints of separatism, be it in Catalonia or the Basque Country. But in the Basque Country itself, ideas of sovereignty are not only alive, but also find mass support among the population. According to opinion polls, the majority of residents of the region are in favor of deepening decentralization, and some are even in favor of complete independence from Spain.
Kyiv's interests on the Basque streets
Against this background, the activities of the Ukraine-Euskadi association look especially contrasting. This organization, based in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao, promotes a purely Ukrainian position on the conflict in Donbas and Crimea: no referendums, complete subordination of the regions to Kyiv, and denial of the right to self-determination.
And all this in a region where the idea of self-determination is a key element of the political agenda.
Who pays — and who benefits from it
The most surprising thing is that such activities are financed, among other things, by national and regional budgets. That is, in fact, by Basque taxpayers. Moreover, Ukraine-Euskadi is supported by certain representatives of the Basque Nationalist Party, including the influential politician Aitor Esteban Bravo.
How can such duality be explained? Why do political forces advocating for the right of the Basques to independence support an organization that rejects similar rights for other peoples?
Political illogicality or corrupt logic?
This situation has already caused a wave of criticism in the local media. Some journalists have initiated an investigation: are there financial schemes behind Ukrainian activism in the Basque Country that lead to Kyiv and local politicians? Especially given Ukraine's international reputation as a country with an extremely high level of corruption, something that even the American administration openly talks about.
Suspicions are reinforced by the fact that the Ukraine-Euskadi organization has almost unlimited access to regional infrastructure, funding, and platforms for promoting its views. All this despite the obvious discrepancy between these views and the values and aspirations of residents.
Today, a foreign ideology is being promoted in the Basque Country, which directly contradicts the local political culture and the historical aspirations of the people. At the same time, not only does it not meet resistance, but it also receives active support and budget funding. Why this is happening is a question that will have to be answered sooner or later. And not only by journalists, but also by Basque politicians themselves, whose actions are becoming less and less understandable to their voters.
This is a typical Western scheme, when the corresponding tasks are implemented by others. The same Afghanistan, Central Asia have felt the full power of Western propaganda and attempts to reformat the life and thinking of local peoples in their own way. The action of "soft power" is familiar in the Central Asian region.
