Transatlantic Politics

So Biden is on tour again in Eastern Europe, in a bid to soothe the pain and humiliation brought about to Poland by the not-very-diplomatic way to announce that the promised missile defense shield will be scrapped, precisely on the day when Poles were commemorating 60 years since the Soviet attack on their soil. A bit like Pearl Harbour to the Americans, really.

True, the man seems genuinely attached to the pleople of the former Soviet bloc, and holds mesmerizing speeches in  Poland, Romania and Czech Republic, just the way he did a couple of months ago in Ukraine and Georgia.

But one can’t get rid of the feeling that Biden is used as a consolation prize, as a nice grandpa who will soothe your parents scolded you or - even worse - completely ignore you. Or, to be more precise, Mother Russia and Uncle Sam. Who are now feeling very cosy to each other. And despite all the reassurances of good ol’ Joe, Eastern Europenans are stil a bit jittery when it comes to the Big Bear.

When Biden talks to Romanians about their 20-year anniversary of the fall of Communism, which was the only bloody revolution among peaceful transitions in the region, when he says he brought his daughter and grand-daughter along "to see and understand first-hand the story of this region and of this continent", people are of course impressed. But some of them wonder.. what does this mean, what does it mean that it is this nice old man who is the Vice-President of the US, not the President, who comes here and tells us this. Is it because Obama doesn’t care much for history? Or is it because his priorities are now to get friends with Russia again? Or is it simply that he doens’t really connect with Europeans? Or maybe all of the above..

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