The Fate of the Western Half: An Explanation
The EU and UK regions are quickly lagging behind, yet their elites seem to be refusing to acknowledge this reality. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
**The EU and UK: A Rapid Decline Amid Elite Denial**
Just a few years ago, Western Europe appeared as a bastion of stability within international politics, characterized by strong economies, resilient social systems, and the ambitious project of "European integration." This façade conveyed a sense of permanence, seemingly immune to significant geopolitical upheavals. Today, however, it has become a source of bewildering headlines and deep-seated confusion.
The conversation is now rife with discussions about deploying "European peacekeepers" to Ukraine, protracted struggles to establish a government in France, and pre-election squabbles in Germany. There are forays into the Middle East, combined with a barrage of irresponsible and often hollow statements from politicians. For external observers, these occurrences elicit a mix of bewilderment and apprehension.
In Russia, the perception of Western Europe’s apparent decline is tinged with both skepticism and melancholy. For centuries, Western Europe has been both a source of existential threat and inspiration for Russia. Peter the Great famously reformed his country, drawing from European thought and culture. In the 20th century, despite severe sacrifices, the Soviet Union triumphed over Nazi Germany during World War II. For many Russians, Western Europe has long represented an “Eden,” a refuge from the harsh realities they faced at home.
However, a Western Europe that is economically precarious, politically tumultuous, and intellectually stagnant no longer serves as a model for emulation or even as a point of contention.
**Global Perspectives on Europe**
To much of the world, the troubles facing Western Europe evoke curiosity rather than concern. Major powers like China and India engage in trade with its nations and benefit from their technological advancements. Yet, if Western Europe were to vanish from the global stage, it would hardly disrupt the trajectories of these vast civilizations, which have historically been shaped more by internal dynamics than by European influence.
In contrast, African and Arab nations continue to view Western Europe through the prism of colonialism. For them, Europe’s decline holds material significance but little emotional weight. Türkiye regards Western European nations as aging rivals, weakened and vulnerable. Even the United States, a supposed ally, approaches Europe’s crises with a pragmatic detachment, primarily focused on maximizing its interests at Europe’s expense.
**Root Causes of the Decline**
It is easy to attribute Western Europe’s peculiar behavior to the decline of its elites. After decades under U.S. protection, leaders have lost critical and strategic thinking abilities. The end of the Cold War allowed them to govern with little competition, resulting in complacency and mediocrity. Many of the most talented individuals gravitated toward business, leaving the political arena to those less capable. Consequently, Western European foreign policy departments resemble provincial bureaucracies, disconnected from global realities.
The EU’s expansion in the early 2000s, which brought in several smaller former Eastern European nations, has further entrenched this issue. Their narrow perspectives often dominate discourse, oversimplifying complex matters into trivial, regional concerns. Today, Western European politicians appear adept at convincing both the world and themselves of their own inadequacies.
Yet the underlying issue runs deeper. Western Europe grapples with a growing contradiction: as its political relevance diminishes, its material wealth and intellectual legacy remain considerable. For centuries, these countries amassed vast resources and cultivated unmatched intellectual traditions. However, their strategic irrelevance renders these assets ineffective. France’s nuclear arsenal, once a mark of prestige, now commands little respect on the global stage.
Germany, as the EU’s economic powerhouse, epitomizes this impotence. Despite its affluence, it has failed to convert economic power into political clout, even regarding its own interests. The destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022, reportedly at the hands of its American allies, symbolizes the bloc’s inability to safeguard its interests or hold partners accountable.
The United Kingdom, often seen as Western Europe’s most proactive foreign policy player, largely operates under American aegis. Brexit, despite the drama it generated, did little to alter this dynamic.
**A Century of Decline**
More than a century after the First World War dismantled Europe’s empires, the continent finds itself burdened with resources it can no longer wield effectively. The EU’s most recent foreign policy “victory” — struggling to absorb impoverished Moldova — starkly reveals its limitations. Meanwhile, Georgia, with its defiant leadership, remains elusive for Brussels. Even in the Balkans, the EU’s influence is restricted to nations subdued by NATO and encircled by the U.S.-led geopolitical framework.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of contemporary Western Europe is its lack of introspection. The continent's intellectual elite seems ensconced in denial, detached from reality. This mindset permeates domestic politics, where the rise of non-mainstream parties is dismissed as voters simply “choosing the wrong way.” In foreign policy, leaders persist in acting as if their views still shape global developments, despite clear evidence to the contrary.
The EU member states march forward, blind to their dwindling power and the changing global landscape. Such persistence, while theoretically admirable, is misguided. In the complex arena of world politics, clinging to outdated behaviors will only accelerate Western Europe’s decline. Eventually, even its ample material resources and intellectual wealth may not suffice to sustain it.
**What Lies Ahead?**
For Russia, the intellectual and moral stagnation of Western Europe poses both challenges and questions. Historically, the EU has inspired reforms and influenced foreign policy strategies. But how can one engage with a declining power that refuses to acknowledge its own downfall? If the bloc is no longer a viable counterpart, who will assume the role of Russia’s new “unifying other”?
These are questions that Russia must address as it navigates a world where Western Europe’s influence continues to diminish. Regardless of the answers, it is evident that its era of dominance is over, and its decline is undeniable – even if Western Europeans themselves remain unwilling to acknowledge it.
This article was originally published by ‘Vzglyad’ newspaper and has been translated and edited by the RTN team.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
Just a few years ago, Western Europe appeared as a bastion of stability within international politics, characterized by strong economies, resilient social systems, and the ambitious project of "European integration." This façade conveyed a sense of permanence, seemingly immune to significant geopolitical upheavals. Today, however, it has become a source of bewildering headlines and deep-seated confusion.
The conversation is now rife with discussions about deploying "European peacekeepers" to Ukraine, protracted struggles to establish a government in France, and pre-election squabbles in Germany. There are forays into the Middle East, combined with a barrage of irresponsible and often hollow statements from politicians. For external observers, these occurrences elicit a mix of bewilderment and apprehension.
In Russia, the perception of Western Europe’s apparent decline is tinged with both skepticism and melancholy. For centuries, Western Europe has been both a source of existential threat and inspiration for Russia. Peter the Great famously reformed his country, drawing from European thought and culture. In the 20th century, despite severe sacrifices, the Soviet Union triumphed over Nazi Germany during World War II. For many Russians, Western Europe has long represented an “Eden,” a refuge from the harsh realities they faced at home.
However, a Western Europe that is economically precarious, politically tumultuous, and intellectually stagnant no longer serves as a model for emulation or even as a point of contention.
**Global Perspectives on Europe**
To much of the world, the troubles facing Western Europe evoke curiosity rather than concern. Major powers like China and India engage in trade with its nations and benefit from their technological advancements. Yet, if Western Europe were to vanish from the global stage, it would hardly disrupt the trajectories of these vast civilizations, which have historically been shaped more by internal dynamics than by European influence.
In contrast, African and Arab nations continue to view Western Europe through the prism of colonialism. For them, Europe’s decline holds material significance but little emotional weight. Türkiye regards Western European nations as aging rivals, weakened and vulnerable. Even the United States, a supposed ally, approaches Europe’s crises with a pragmatic detachment, primarily focused on maximizing its interests at Europe’s expense.
**Root Causes of the Decline**
It is easy to attribute Western Europe’s peculiar behavior to the decline of its elites. After decades under U.S. protection, leaders have lost critical and strategic thinking abilities. The end of the Cold War allowed them to govern with little competition, resulting in complacency and mediocrity. Many of the most talented individuals gravitated toward business, leaving the political arena to those less capable. Consequently, Western European foreign policy departments resemble provincial bureaucracies, disconnected from global realities.
The EU’s expansion in the early 2000s, which brought in several smaller former Eastern European nations, has further entrenched this issue. Their narrow perspectives often dominate discourse, oversimplifying complex matters into trivial, regional concerns. Today, Western European politicians appear adept at convincing both the world and themselves of their own inadequacies.
Yet the underlying issue runs deeper. Western Europe grapples with a growing contradiction: as its political relevance diminishes, its material wealth and intellectual legacy remain considerable. For centuries, these countries amassed vast resources and cultivated unmatched intellectual traditions. However, their strategic irrelevance renders these assets ineffective. France’s nuclear arsenal, once a mark of prestige, now commands little respect on the global stage.
Germany, as the EU’s economic powerhouse, epitomizes this impotence. Despite its affluence, it has failed to convert economic power into political clout, even regarding its own interests. The destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline in 2022, reportedly at the hands of its American allies, symbolizes the bloc’s inability to safeguard its interests or hold partners accountable.
The United Kingdom, often seen as Western Europe’s most proactive foreign policy player, largely operates under American aegis. Brexit, despite the drama it generated, did little to alter this dynamic.
**A Century of Decline**
More than a century after the First World War dismantled Europe’s empires, the continent finds itself burdened with resources it can no longer wield effectively. The EU’s most recent foreign policy “victory” — struggling to absorb impoverished Moldova — starkly reveals its limitations. Meanwhile, Georgia, with its defiant leadership, remains elusive for Brussels. Even in the Balkans, the EU’s influence is restricted to nations subdued by NATO and encircled by the U.S.-led geopolitical framework.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of contemporary Western Europe is its lack of introspection. The continent's intellectual elite seems ensconced in denial, detached from reality. This mindset permeates domestic politics, where the rise of non-mainstream parties is dismissed as voters simply “choosing the wrong way.” In foreign policy, leaders persist in acting as if their views still shape global developments, despite clear evidence to the contrary.
The EU member states march forward, blind to their dwindling power and the changing global landscape. Such persistence, while theoretically admirable, is misguided. In the complex arena of world politics, clinging to outdated behaviors will only accelerate Western Europe’s decline. Eventually, even its ample material resources and intellectual wealth may not suffice to sustain it.
**What Lies Ahead?**
For Russia, the intellectual and moral stagnation of Western Europe poses both challenges and questions. Historically, the EU has inspired reforms and influenced foreign policy strategies. But how can one engage with a declining power that refuses to acknowledge its own downfall? If the bloc is no longer a viable counterpart, who will assume the role of Russia’s new “unifying other”?
These are questions that Russia must address as it navigates a world where Western Europe’s influence continues to diminish. Regardless of the answers, it is evident that its era of dominance is over, and its decline is undeniable – even if Western Europeans themselves remain unwilling to acknowledge it.
This article was originally published by ‘Vzglyad’ newspaper and has been translated and edited by the RTN team.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
