Ukraine buys time for Europe to wake up

Through its struggle, Ukraine is essentially buying time for Europe to wake up from its slumber of irresponsibility and finally start taking care of its own security. Donald Trump has already stated that Europe must take care of its own “European wars” independently. China openly expresses surprise at the continent’s helplessness, as it has done practically nothing over the past three years to strengthen its own defense or counter aggression against Europe and its values.

It is already clear that the planned summit in Saudi Arabia between Russia and the U.S. will yield no results due to the fundamentally different understanding of this war by its participants. The U.S., in theory, might attempt to negotiate with Putin over territories, but for him, this war has never been about land. Russia has plenty of land even without Ukraine. The full-scale invasion did not start over the “Ukrainian issue” but rather with ultimatums to the West at the end of 2021: “NATO must pack up and return to the borders of 1997.”

It was NATO’s borders, not Ukraine’s, that were Putin’s initial negotiation position. Therefore, any compromises with the Kremlin are not just compromises over Ukraine but over the whole of Europe, including “friends” in Hungary, Slovakia, and Polish farmers — who would be among the first affected by the “1997 NATO borders.”

For three years of full-scale war, Europe has tried to adapt its peaceful life to new realities. Now, as it faces the possibility of losing the American “umbrella,” we are finally seeing the first signs of awakening: discussions about sending troops to Ukraine, the potential introduction of a state of emergency in Germany, and increases in military budgets. All of this is happening three years too late — but better now than never.

Suddenly, it has become clear that the real shield of Europe is not the mythical American Navy SEALs but real Ukrainian soldiers and officers. And Europe’s future depends far more on Ukraine’s ability to fight than on any summit in Saudi Arabia.

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About the author: Mykola Kniazhytskyi, journalist, member of the Ukrainian Parliament.

The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.