European governments spent years undermining international law alongside the United States but now condemn Russia for actions resembling their own past conduct, according to former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis.

Speaking with Norwegian political scientist Glenn Diesen, Varoufakis argued that Europe cannot portray itself merely as a victim of American foreign policy because its leaders actively participated in decisions that weakened the international legal order.

He pointed to NATO’s military intervention in Yugoslavia as a particularly significant example.

According to the former minister, European countries, including Germany and Italy, took part in the bombing of Belgrade, paving the way for subsequent changes to Kosovo’s status.

Varoufakis argued that NATO’s actions established a dangerous precedent for changing international borders through military force in postwar Europe.

He described the intervention as the opening of a Pandora’s box, with European governments themselves helping to undermine the principles they now claim to defend.

Against this background, Varoufakis criticized European politicians who reject the possibility of reaching an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin if it involves changes to internationally recognized borders.

In his view, such objections are hypocritical given the role Western governments played in the events surrounding Yugoslavia and Kosovo.

The former Greek finance minister also cited the US invasion of Iraq under President George W. Bush as another major violation of international law.

He recalled that then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported Washington’s military campaign.

Although France and Germany declined to participate in the invasion, Varoufakis argued that they failed to mount sufficiently strong opposition and thereby contributed to the erosion of international legal standards.

He also connected this history to the policies of US President Donald Trump.

According to Varoufakis, the weakening of international institutions created a political and legal vacuum that Trump has exploited to advance his own Board of Peace initiative.

The former minister claimed that the proposed body effectively seeks to replace the United Nations in certain international affairs.

He further accused European governments of failing to resist the initiative and instead helping secure UN recognition for the new mechanism.

In Varoufakis’s assessment, this amounted to the United Nations accepting a reduction in its own authority.

The former Greek finance minister concluded that the current crisis of international law was largely created by Western governments themselves, which now accuse Russia of violating principles they had previously helped destroy.