Olivier Védrine is the President of the Continental University business school in Kiev (Ukraine) and member of the AER Academic Centre
Kyiv, 2 April 2015 – «The European Union has to face an important and organized Putin’s propaganda. In this short cold war we have to face a war of communication efficient and strong », stated Olivier Védrine, European expert, co-founder of Business School at Gragomanov University in Kyiv, author of “The Ideas for United Europe”, during the press-briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Europe should not be afraid to support Ukraine against Russia. Russian Federation does not represent neither economic nor military super-power, explained the expert. According to 2013 data, the economy of Russia represents 2, 86% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the whole world. And this economy is now collapsing because of the sanctions against the Putin’s policy in Ukraine and also because of the inefficiency of the economic system in Russia based on corruption and soviet culture of management. «US plus EU plus Canada plus Australia represent around 46,25 % of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the whole world (figures 2013). And NATO is still and for a long time the most powerful military organization », stated Olivier Védrine.
The information war is still important. “We have to take care about the war of communication made by Putin because the target of this war of communication is to divide the public opinions at first in the European Union because Ukraine choose to go to the European Union and secondly against USA because the United States of America support the choice of Ukraine», M Védrine added.
In order to face Kremlin’s propaganda Europe do not need to do the counter-propaganda of the European Union. «We need only to present the facts : the results of the Putin policy in economy, in social life, in press freedom, in policy of repression », asserts the expert.
According to Olivier Védrine, there is a place for hope. According to a recent opinion poll results in France, a large majority of French (83%) reported having a bad opinion of the Russian President. Moreover, this unpopularity is shared by the right and the left. A consensus exists regarding the perception of Vladimir Putin as a threat for Europe and for France (63% of supporters of the right and 77% of supporters of the left).
