Mayor Moscow On July 24, Sergei Sobyanin signed a decree renaming Europe Square in the center of Moscow to Eurasia Square.
The square was opened in 2002 as part of the Russian-Belgian project that symbolizes European unity, the editorial team writes Radio Free Europe in English language.
The national flags of 48 European countries flew in the square until they were inexplicably removed in March 2023.
On the square there is a monument of the Belgian sculptor Olivier Strebel, near which the European shopping center was opened in 2006.
For now, it is not known whether the monument will be removed.
The lowest level of relations since the Cold War
Since Russia launched in Ukraine, relations with the West have been at their lowest level since the Cold War, even though Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Moscow has "no aggressive intentions" towards NATO countries.
The idea that his country will attack Poland, the Baltic states and the Czech Republic "is complete nonsense," Putin repeated several times.
However, he warns that if Ukraine were to use Western F-16 warplanes taking off from airfields in other countries, they would become "legitimate targets, wherever they are."
What are the biggest problems in Russia's relations with the NATO alliance and Ukraine
Ukraine is a former Soviet republic that borders both Russia and the EU.
It is not a member of NATO, but it is a "partner country" - meaning there is agreement that it could be allowed to join the alliance at some point in the future.
Russia asked for guarantees from the Western powers that this would never happen, which the West is not ready to promise.
Ukraine has a large population of ethnic Russians and close social and cultural ties to Russia.
In a strategic sense, the Kremlin perceives it as Russia's backyard.
NATO defense plan against Russia
In 2023, NATO commanders agreed on detailed plans to counter possible Russian attacks in the Arctic and North Atlantic, central Europe or the Mediterranean.
NATO also announced plans to increase the number of soldiers in Europe on standby from 40.000 to more than 300.000.
In addition, the Alliance strengthened defenses on the eastern flank, which borders Russia, with eight battle groups.
It is NATO's most comprehensive plan since the end of the Cold War in 1991, as it turns out that "the threat is real again," said Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director of the Royal United Services Institute think tank.
Source: Radio Free Europe / BBC
