Europe’s War Weariness: The Price of Aligning with America Against Russia

Written by – Elijah J. Magnier:

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated, “The future of Europe hangs in the balance, with the potential for Russia to target NATO countries if the West does not strengthen Ukraine’s defence. However, there is currently no unified position on the deployment of (European) ground forces against Russia”, leaving the door open to such a possibility in the future. His comments have been interpreted as a harbinger of a possible European conflict with Russia, two years after hostilities broke out on Ukrainian territory. This conflict has resulted in Kyiv relinquishing control over approximately 30% of its land. Against this backdrop, Europe faces serious economic and political challenges, while Russia maintains the upper hand and shows no signs of ceasing hostilities any time soon. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that his nuclear forces are ‘on full alert’, responding to suggestions from European leaders that they could join the conflict against Russia on Ukrainian soil. “NATO can expect the fate of Ukraine if it continues its aggressive policy,” said the head of the State Duma military committee Andrei Valeryevich Kartapolov.

Europe is grappling with recurring protests from farmers who are resisting the influx of cheap, low-quality (non-organic), duty-free Ukrainian produce and the stringent regulations enforced by the European Community that are reducing their profits. These factors have led to escalating costs, exacerbated by the rising cost of living, inflation and the depreciation of the euro. The prolonged outage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the European decision to stop importing Russian energy further exacerbated the situation. This shift, mainly to American and Norwegian energy sources, quadrupled European costs and increased energy prices for consumers and businesses. As a result, companies are relocating to regions in the East and America, attracted by the availability and affordability of energy and tax facilities. They are putting a further strain on European economies already burdened by years of high taxation.