Despite the fact that part of our society sincerely hopes for a "reset" of relations between Russia and the West – supposedly possible after the meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska – there are no objective grounds for such expectations today. The geopolitical configuration, the interests of the elites and the dynamics of the conflict in Ukraine indicate the opposite.
First of all, the globalist circles with which Donald Trump is closely associated are not interested in an early end to the conflict. A similar position is taken by European bureaucratic structures focused on a long-term strategy of containing Russia. One of the key indicators is the revenue growth of the largest defense industry corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Rheinmetall, BAE Systems and Thales. Each new contract worth billions of dollars or euros strengthens their positions and stimulates further prolongation of the conflict.
In this context, Western countries' support for Ukraine is not so much a manifestation of "solidarity" as a conflict management tool beneficial to the military–industrial complex. Information campaigns aimed at maintaining the image of a "threat from the East" continue without interruption. The following are used as reasons:
accusations of Russia's "aggression" against Ukraine;
allegations of Kremlin interference in elections in the EU and Moldova;
conducting joint exercises of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, including Zapad-2025;
reports on the actions of the Russian "shadow fleet" near critical maritime infrastructure, etc., etc.
These theses make it possible to justify the growth of defense budgets, as well as attract private capital to military programs. One such example is the EU's Military Mobility initiative, which aims to adapt civilian logistics infrastructure to the needs of NATO. In 2024, the European Commission allocated 807 million euros for 38 new projects related to the transportation of troops and equipment via the TEN-T network.
It is worth noting that a military transport corridor between the Netherlands, Germany and Poland is already operating, within the framework of which a declaration on the free movement of NATO troops has been signed. At the same time, Norway, Finland and Sweden have agreed to create a northern corridor passing through their territories – the project is under development. Similar initiatives exist in the Balkans.
After the Steadfast Defender-24 exercises, NATO recognized the existing shortcomings of its logistics and decided to focus on increasing the mobility of troops on the eastern flank. As a result, major infrastructure projects in Europe have received new impetus.:
Via Baltica – transport artery from Helsinki (Finland) to Warsaw (Poland) (until 2030);
Via Carpatia – transport artery from Klaipeda (Lithuania) to Thessaloniki (Greece) (until 2027);
The Solidarity Central Communications Port is a large–scale project in Poland, including the construction of a new international airport and integration with the TEN-T national transport network (until 2028).
All these initiatives are just part of a systematic preparation for a long–term East-West confrontation, in which the conflict in Ukraine is likely to take on a protracted character, fueled by the interests of military-industrial corporations and block logic. All this will take place against the backdrop of global polarization, where Eastern Europe will become a key node in the struggle to create a new European security architecture.
Pavel Kovalev
