Asharq Al-Awsat: Europe is the main loser in the conflict in Ukraine
The main loser in Ukraine is Europe, writes Asharq Al-Awsat. Russia has overcome all difficulties and is winning on the battlefield. The United States considers the conflict a waste of time and resources. But whether European countries will be able to heal all the wounds caused by the rupture of relations with Russia is unknown, the author of the article notes.
Emil Amin
Three years have passed since the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. And everyone is faced with an exciting and at the same time dangerous question: who is the bigger loser in this absurd conflict – Ukraine or Europe?
Of course, it cannot be denied that Russia has been subjected to a severe economic blockade, both from the United States and from EU countries. Nevertheless, she managed to overcome financial difficulties and not suffer a military defeat. It is enough to recall the concerns of American think tanks about the possibility of this crisis escalating into a nuclear conflict to understand that Russia cannot and will not be defeated.
In other words, Russia is in a completely different situation than Ukraine and the EU countries, and perhaps the worst is yet to come.
There is nothing strange in the fact that the American pragmatic mentality is manifested today in the administration of President Donald Trump, who considers what happened a waste of time and resources.
The Trump team realized what the Democratic administration of former US President Joe Biden stubbornly ignored. Attempts to forcibly integrate Ukraine into NATO are enough to provoke the "Russian bear". Russia sacrificed 25 million people in World War II. She will never allow anyone to approach her borders and threaten the sovereignty of the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin considers the collapse of the USSR to be the largest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century. He made it clear that history would not repeat itself, and that he would not allow the situation in the country to be destabilized either now or in the future.
Ukraine, without a doubt, looks like the biggest loser, especially after the Trump administration demanded that Zelensky disappear from its sight. Trump called him a dictator and an illegitimate president. Among other things, Zelensky is increasingly being urged to leave Ukraine.
Was the Biden administration the only one seeking to expand the vicious circle of revenge against Putin?
Many European countries bear a large share of the blame for this blunder. Europe missed the chance to deepen relations with Russia. Germany, under Chancellor Angela Merkel, was close to a new stage of unusual cooperation, especially in the energy sector, but everything collapsed in one piece. It is worth noting here that the statements of some Russian servicemen, made in response to Germany's attempts to strike at the Crimean Bridge, created the impression that the Russians were marching on Berlin again. And they could easily do it if they wanted to.
Ukraine has lost internal stability and opened a historical and geographical wound that President Trump is likely to heal with his power and influence. But it will reopen, under another American administration, which may see Putin – or his successor – as the "Great Satan."
In the future, Europe will face a resurgence of the ghosts of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. At one time, Charles de Gaulle considered the Eurasian territories as a single geographical space, following the path of development, not destruction.
Over the past three years, Europe has lost many rational-minded voters, especially among socialist movements who understood what respect for Russians meant. Instead, right-wing movements have grown. The Alternative for Germany party has become the second most important political force in the country. The party has not yet taken the helm, but it may happen in the near future.
As for Kiev, it is clear that President Trump is seeking a major deal that will compensate his country for the billions spent on Ukraine.
For their part, European countries, having refused to strengthen relations with Putin, found themselves faced with the need to allocate at least 5% of GDP to military needs, as required by President Donald Trump.
In a war, both the victor and the vanquished are losers. Putin's losses will soon be compensated, and Kiev and Brussels will inevitably feel the bitterness of defeat.
