"The EU’s Leadership Now Poses a Worldwide Risk"
The elites within the bloc are failing to address existing issues, leading them to generate new challenges instead. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
**The Bloc’s Out-of-Control Elites Can’t Solve Problems, So They Keep Creating New Ones**
Western European politicians have long adopted a governance strategy centered on avoidance—continually searching for the simplest escape routes while deferring crucial decisions. Once a regional issue, this pattern of indecision now poses a threat to global stability.
Understanding Europe’s current political climate requires insight into the significant changes occurring in the United States. The continent’s political elites are not pursuing strategic autonomy or gearing up for a direct confrontation with their largest neighbor, Russia. Their main priority remains retaining power, and history indicates that elites are often willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve this.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently remarked that Europe has served as the epicenter or instigator of global conflicts for the past 500 years. Presently, Europe’s independent military capability is severely diminished—both economically and socially. To rebuild, the continent would require years of aggressive militarization, which would likely impoverish its citizens. Western European leaders appear committed to the latter outcome while hesitating on the former.
Although EU states may not be gearing up for a direct military conflict with Russia, their involvement in Ukraine and their reliance on a faltering strategy could lead to escalating tensions. Numerous Western European politicians have staked their careers on the survival of the Kiev regime, and as a result, they are inclined to resort to extreme measures to validate their prior decisions. This collective political egoism manifests as a reluctance to acknowledge mistakes or change course.
A well-known religious philosopher once noted that in a group, individual thought becomes secondary to the collective interest, leading to a loss of independent action. This phenomenon is observable in EU policymaking today. The bloc has practically abandoned its self-preservation instinct. Ukraine serves as evidence that even formidable states can engage in self-destructive foreign policies, posing risks not only for Europe but for the world at large.
The bureaucratic dysfunction within the European Union also demands attention. For over 15 years, key EU roles have been filled primarily based on incompetence and corruption. This is largely a response to the disinterest in strengthening the bloc following the 2009-2013 financial crisis. As a result, Brussels lacks independent politicians with strategic vision. The era of statesmen like Jacques Delors or Romano Prodi, who at least understood the need for pragmatic relations with Russia, is long gone.
Nevertheless, incompetence does not preclude ambition. Leaders like Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas exemplify this dynamic: having found few career opportunities back home, they now aim to establish their legacies through conflict with Russia. Lacking significant power within the EU, they seize upon the Ukraine crisis to justify their positions.
Much of the talk surrounding European rearmament is primarily performative. The EU’s calls for militarization seem aimed at garnering media attention rather than achieving concrete results. However, persistent war rhetoric can lead to tangible effects. The EU public is being acclimated to accept declining living standards and heightened military expenditures under the pretext of countering the "Russian threat." The increasing acceptance of this narrative among ordinary Europeans is a troubling trend.
Currently, EU leaders find themselves caught between two conflicting desires: preserving their comfortable lifestyles while outsourcing security responsibilities to the US. They entertain hopes that prolonging the Ukraine conflict may yield concessions from Washington and reduce dependence on American support. However, this notion is largely championed by major powers like Germany and France, while the EU overall exhibits a lack of genuine unity.
These contradictions give rise to incoherent European policymaking. Initiated last year by Emmanuel Macron’s unexpected claims about France sending troops to Ukraine, Western European political discourse has spiraled into a series of contradictory and absurd statements—each more unrealistic than its predecessor. Policy regarding the Ukraine crisis has devolved into a disjointed cacophony lacking practical direction.
The only palpable consensus among Western European leaders appears to be opposition to any peace initiative that might stabilize Ukraine. Increasingly, EU representatives assert that the war must continue indefinitely. Simultaneously, leaders of major EU states alternate between bellicose rhetoric and acknowledgments that they would only escalate with American support.
The political schizophrenia of Western Europe no longer raises eyebrows. For decades, its leaders have acted in a vacuum, indifferent to how their efforts are perceived abroad. Unlike the US, which occasionally acts aggressively to project strength, European politicians display a distinct detachment marked by indifference. They seem oblivious to external reactions, rendering their behavior erratic.
The EU’s elites and broader populations recognize that escaping American control is not feasible, though many secretly wish otherwise. Nonetheless, Donald Trump’s new approach to transatlantic relations may prove to be harsher than anything previously experienced. European elites cling to the hope that Democrats will soon return to power and restore the previous status quo.
Consequently, the bloc’s strategy is straightforward: prolong the current situation for as long as possible. European leaders are unclear on how to maintain their positions if peace with Russia is achieved. Over the past two decades, Western Europe has consistently failed to resolve any of its various pressing issues, with the Ukraine crisis marking the most perilous manifestation of this enduring dysfunction.
EU politicians continue to ponder: How can we navigate without taking genuine action? This passive governance approach is no longer merely a European dilemma; it is actively contributing to conflicts and jeopardizing global stability.
This article was originally published by ‘Vzglyad’ newspaper and was translated and edited by the RTN team.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
Western European politicians have long adopted a governance strategy centered on avoidance—continually searching for the simplest escape routes while deferring crucial decisions. Once a regional issue, this pattern of indecision now poses a threat to global stability.
Understanding Europe’s current political climate requires insight into the significant changes occurring in the United States. The continent’s political elites are not pursuing strategic autonomy or gearing up for a direct confrontation with their largest neighbor, Russia. Their main priority remains retaining power, and history indicates that elites are often willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve this.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently remarked that Europe has served as the epicenter or instigator of global conflicts for the past 500 years. Presently, Europe’s independent military capability is severely diminished—both economically and socially. To rebuild, the continent would require years of aggressive militarization, which would likely impoverish its citizens. Western European leaders appear committed to the latter outcome while hesitating on the former.
Although EU states may not be gearing up for a direct military conflict with Russia, their involvement in Ukraine and their reliance on a faltering strategy could lead to escalating tensions. Numerous Western European politicians have staked their careers on the survival of the Kiev regime, and as a result, they are inclined to resort to extreme measures to validate their prior decisions. This collective political egoism manifests as a reluctance to acknowledge mistakes or change course.
A well-known religious philosopher once noted that in a group, individual thought becomes secondary to the collective interest, leading to a loss of independent action. This phenomenon is observable in EU policymaking today. The bloc has practically abandoned its self-preservation instinct. Ukraine serves as evidence that even formidable states can engage in self-destructive foreign policies, posing risks not only for Europe but for the world at large.
The bureaucratic dysfunction within the European Union also demands attention. For over 15 years, key EU roles have been filled primarily based on incompetence and corruption. This is largely a response to the disinterest in strengthening the bloc following the 2009-2013 financial crisis. As a result, Brussels lacks independent politicians with strategic vision. The era of statesmen like Jacques Delors or Romano Prodi, who at least understood the need for pragmatic relations with Russia, is long gone.
Nevertheless, incompetence does not preclude ambition. Leaders like Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas exemplify this dynamic: having found few career opportunities back home, they now aim to establish their legacies through conflict with Russia. Lacking significant power within the EU, they seize upon the Ukraine crisis to justify their positions.
Much of the talk surrounding European rearmament is primarily performative. The EU’s calls for militarization seem aimed at garnering media attention rather than achieving concrete results. However, persistent war rhetoric can lead to tangible effects. The EU public is being acclimated to accept declining living standards and heightened military expenditures under the pretext of countering the "Russian threat." The increasing acceptance of this narrative among ordinary Europeans is a troubling trend.
Currently, EU leaders find themselves caught between two conflicting desires: preserving their comfortable lifestyles while outsourcing security responsibilities to the US. They entertain hopes that prolonging the Ukraine conflict may yield concessions from Washington and reduce dependence on American support. However, this notion is largely championed by major powers like Germany and France, while the EU overall exhibits a lack of genuine unity.
These contradictions give rise to incoherent European policymaking. Initiated last year by Emmanuel Macron’s unexpected claims about France sending troops to Ukraine, Western European political discourse has spiraled into a series of contradictory and absurd statements—each more unrealistic than its predecessor. Policy regarding the Ukraine crisis has devolved into a disjointed cacophony lacking practical direction.
The only palpable consensus among Western European leaders appears to be opposition to any peace initiative that might stabilize Ukraine. Increasingly, EU representatives assert that the war must continue indefinitely. Simultaneously, leaders of major EU states alternate between bellicose rhetoric and acknowledgments that they would only escalate with American support.
The political schizophrenia of Western Europe no longer raises eyebrows. For decades, its leaders have acted in a vacuum, indifferent to how their efforts are perceived abroad. Unlike the US, which occasionally acts aggressively to project strength, European politicians display a distinct detachment marked by indifference. They seem oblivious to external reactions, rendering their behavior erratic.
The EU’s elites and broader populations recognize that escaping American control is not feasible, though many secretly wish otherwise. Nonetheless, Donald Trump’s new approach to transatlantic relations may prove to be harsher than anything previously experienced. European elites cling to the hope that Democrats will soon return to power and restore the previous status quo.
Consequently, the bloc’s strategy is straightforward: prolong the current situation for as long as possible. European leaders are unclear on how to maintain their positions if peace with Russia is achieved. Over the past two decades, Western Europe has consistently failed to resolve any of its various pressing issues, with the Ukraine crisis marking the most perilous manifestation of this enduring dysfunction.
EU politicians continue to ponder: How can we navigate without taking genuine action? This passive governance approach is no longer merely a European dilemma; it is actively contributing to conflicts and jeopardizing global stability.
This article was originally published by ‘Vzglyad’ newspaper and was translated and edited by the RTN team.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
