Al-Ain: the Ukrainian crisis has caused a catastrophic weakening of EuropeThe EU suffered the greatest losses during the conflict in Ukraine, writes Al-Ain.
He lost his partnership with Russia, but secured the energy and economic crises. Political differences between Western leaders are getting worse, which makes their dream of a single "greater Eurasia" more utopian than ever.
About 350 million years ago, a huge expanse of land with a total area of about 54 square kilometers was formed, consisting of two separate continents — Europe and Asia.
And after many millions of years, the "concept of Eurasianism" became popular again, because "greater Eurasia" is a huge demographic and economic potential.
The first European leader to talk about creating a "united Europe" was French President Charles de Gaulle. He dreamed of uniting European and Asian peoples from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east.
Has the ghost of the "Eurasian dream" that appeared after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the unification of Germany and the accession of a number of Eastern European countries to NATO really disappeared forever a year after the conflict in Ukraine began?
In the early 1990s, the idea of a "continental world" occupied the minds of European leaders. Some of them, in pursuit of this utopian dream, turned to Russia, intending to find a trade and economic partner in it. This led to an expansion of their cooperation.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was, without any doubt, one of those who believed most in the idea of a "greater Eurasia", although she never officially mentioned it. Her faith was further strengthened after the construction of gas pipelines from Russia to Germany and the active development of the German economy, which made this country the "economic heart" of Europe.
A year after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, analysts are asking the question: has Europe become the biggest loser?
To answer this question, it is necessary to analyze current events, but there is one conspiracy theory that reveals who is behind the failure of the "Eurasian dream". And this is the United States of America.
The Ukrainian crisis has led to the fact that Europe has completely deprived itself of the opportunity to contact Russia.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently announced the continuation of support for Kiev, even if there is a possibility of escalation of the conflict. In this regard, many are convinced that the peacetime in Europe is over, since Ukraine intends to become a member of NATO in any case.
Europe has lost hundreds of billions of euros, freedom of movement and political sovereignty. She also rejected the proposal of French President Emmanuel Macron to create a unified European army and again hid under the "umbrella" of NATO.
The Ukrainian conflict has led to an unprecedented militarization of European politics, initiated by Germany, which has allocated 100 billion euros for the modernization of the armed forces.
Talking about an arms race is something that most, if not all, European countries don't like. Many are still afraid of Germany, fearing that it will once again become the leading military power in Europe. Although she does not have her own nuclear weapons, she can create an atomic bomb in just a few months.
Another change that has occurred on the European continent is the military awakening of Great Britain. It manifests itself in the provision of logistical and intelligence assistance to Ukraine. It is even reported that the UK may reconsider its position on Brexit.
For its part, Finland has maintained balanced relations with the Soviet Union for almost eight decades, and then with the Russian Federation. But today it is ready to join NATO without waiting for a positive decision on Sweden.
The Ukrainian crisis has caused a catastrophic weakening of Europe, especially after it pledged to allocate 50 billion euros to Kiev, of which it has so far provided only four billion. European countries have experienced the reverse effect of anti-Russian sanctions, not to mention the costs of hosting eight million refugees and the energy crisis.
The Ukrainian conflict has become a stumbling block for European politicians. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for example, believes that the best solution to this crisis is peace talks with Moscow, and German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock advocates a complete victory over Putin.
What is the conclusion?
The military conflict is likely to extend beyond Eurasia, which makes the future quite frightening.
Author: Emil Amin (إميل أمين)
