To hold off the Russian threat, Europeans’ strategic approach to security and Ukraine should comprise three elements. These apply whatever the latest twists and turns on the battlefield or at the negotiation table. To deliver robust security support for Ukraine, Europeans must: help Ukrainians defend themselves by providing continued military ass
The all-too-imaginable picture of a Ukraine subverted by Russia should alarm Europeans right across the continent, from Poland to Portugal. For now, a hobbled Ukraine is neither a given nor the likeliest outcome. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression, Ukrainian society and Ukraine’s state structures have proved resilient and effecti
Still, Russia’s sheer military heft has put Ukraine’s innovation and defiance under real strain. Since the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive of 2023, the conflict has turned into a grinding war of attrition. Media reports rightly highlight Ukraine’s ability to stall the invaders and the great costs Russia is paying for its slow progress. But
After the 2026 ceasefire, Western assistance proved insufficient to stabilise Ukraine and rescue its economy; investors stayed away out of fear of renewed fighting. With Ukrainians disappointed by Europeans’ ineffectual response, embittered by the indeterminate conclusion of the horrible conflict, the post-war elections became a divisive feast of
It is 2030. Ukrainians’ valiant resistance failed to expel Russia fully from their territory. Instead, they have carved out the next-best outcome: the front line is mostly stable, despite the absence of NATO membership (as was the case for West Germany) or any final peace agreement (as is still the case for South Korea). But this situation allows