Moscow renames 'European Square' to 'Eurasian Plaza'
In the context of growing confrontation with the European Union, Moscow's European Square is no more. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin renamed the square near the Kiev Railway Station in the city center by decree – to Eurasian Square. This refers to the region of the world that includes the Asian regions of Russia, China, and Asian countries.
No reason was given. However, this is seen as a sign of Russia's turning away from Europe as a result of Moscow's aggressive war against Ukraine and the increasingly strong orientation towards the Asian sphere.
Moscow accuses the European Union of increasingly aggressive and anti-Russian politics, as Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, reiterated to journalists on Wednesday. The European Square was opened more than 20 years ago as a Russian-Belgian project and was intended to be a symbol of the "unity of European states" ever since. Large flagpoles bore the flags of European countries for a long time, which were already taken down last year.**
The renamed Eurasian Square, once a symbol of European unity, now stands as a potential representation of Moscow's shifting focus away from Europe due to the confrontation and the aggressive war against Ukraine. This place, once shared with Belgium and hosting the flags of European countries, now holds a different significance because of these geopolitical changes. The movement towards renaming Europe Square to Eurasian Square has sparked speculation among Eurasians and international observers about Moscow's intentions towards Europe and Asia.
