The West must be forced to shake off its lethargy, and Europe must view Putin as the main long-term threat to its security.
“A shocking lack of strategic vision” in Europe gives Putin a chance to win the war against Ukraine. This is stated in the material of The Economist, published on Thursday, November 30.
The reason Putin’s victory in the war is possible, according to the publication, is that now neither side can expel the other from controlled territories. Ukraine’s counter-offensive stalled. In the battles for Avdievka, Russia loses more than 900 people every day, and such a “defensive war” can last for years.
“The West can do more to frustrate Putin. If he decides, he can deploy industrial and financial resources that dwarf Russia’s. However, fatalism, complacency and a surprising lack of strategic vision stand in the way , especially in Europe. For its own sake, and for the sake of Ukraine, the West must urgently remove the lethargy,” the article said.
The authors of the material note that Russia’s advantage is explained by its foreign support, as it receives drones from Iran and shells from North Korea; Türkiye and Kazakhstan have become conduits for goods that feed Russia’s war machine. The Western scheme to limit Russia’s oil revenues also failed.
Inside Russia, as The Economist writes, the people have gotten used to war, the so-called elite have increased control over the economy, and Putin can afford to pay lifetime salaries to the families of those who fight and die.
“Given all this, it is not surprising that the mood in Kiev is becoming darker. Politics is back, people are fighting for influence. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny have fallen. The internal polls show that corruption scandals and concerns about Ukraine’s future have weakened Mr Zelensky’s authority among voters,” The Economist wrote.
At the same time, the publication predicts that the situation with support for Ukraine may worsen significantly: “if Donald Trump, who promised peace in the near future, is elected president, the United States may stop supplies of weapon.”
However, whoever becomes the next US president, Europe must prepare for a decline in American aid.
The publication also wrote that there is no point in simply hoping that Putin’s regime collapses due to forced mobilization, inflation and military spending, because “he can stay in power for many years.”
Therefore, “Europe must see Putin as the main long-term threat to its security. Russia will rearm. It will gain experience in combat. Europe’s defense planning must be designed so that Putin does not feel vulnerable at the edges Especially if there are doubts about President Trump’s willingness to fight back in the event of an attack on a NATO country.
And the best way to stop Putin is for Europe to show its resolve and provide Ukraine with air defense and long-range missiles to attack Russian supply lines.
Otherwise, according to journalists, Putin seems capable of winning for the first time since February 24, 2022, and his biggest advantage is the lack of strategic vision of Europe.
Earlier it was reported that Ukraine received only 300 thousand shells from the million promised to it from the European Union.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.