Stop Putin

Ukraine is the only country in Europe that fulfills NATO's core mission.

Putin rejected a recent suggestion by Trump's envoys to end the war in Ukraine because he is convinced that the West is so weak that it can succeed even more.

Earlier this week, he bluntly stated that Russia is ready to wage war if Europe wants it. By this he means that any excuse that his propaganda machine can present as a provocation will be cause for military action that will extend beyond Ukraine.

This, of course, has never been a secret; it has always been clear that once Ukraine capitulates, if it cannot hold its courageous defense of the West, the war will not end. Instead, Putin will move on to his next objective, for as I have repeatedly warned, this war has never been about seizing Ukrainian territory or resources; for Putin, it has always been a war to redivide the world. Why else would the central part of the demands in the absurd peace plan presented by Trump's envoys and the Kremlin be to first strengthen the position of the Russian language and the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine?

Putin is fighting for an ideological vision in which Russia is the world's dominant countervailing force, embodying traditional values opposed to those of a free and democratic world. In this vision, Russia retains its sphere of influence, and ultimately its authoritarian, reactionary worldview model wins out.

The contrast between Putin's statements and Europe's position remains stark. While Putin in Ukraine is openly committing war crimes, violating NATO airspace and maritime borders, European leaders stand by quietly, make statements and continue to discuss incremental next steps.

Recently, I attended a security conference in Halifax and was a member of its opening panel: at one point in the discussion, I couldn't stand it and became emotional. I argued that Ukraine is the only country in Europe that fulfills NATO's core mission; it alone protects the West from Putin's aggression and preserves the future of the democratic world. Meanwhile, European leaders have the audacity to debate whether Ukraine should even be included in negotiations to stop the fighting.

This is a situation that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago: not only is America abdicating its global responsibility, it is actively supporting an aggressor. My brief rant has gone viral because I think it touched a nerve; the mood is beginning to shift. People see the absurdity of the situation, the fact that a dictatorial regime is waging open war against the West, while Western leaders still refuse to recognize the obvious reality.

The formula for Putin's success today, as always, is a toxic mix of European impotence and American corruption. Trump's team is effectively selling Ukraine at the negotiating table while Europe turns its back. Lately, Europe has been mired in pathetic mutual recriminations as Belgium, home to Euroclear, the world's largest financial clearinghouse, drags its feet on confiscating frozen state-owned Russian assets. Such a move could cause legal problems, not to mention scaring off major international clients such as China and Saudi Arabia.

Chancellor Merz criticized Belgian Prime Minister de Wever for inaction, thereby shifting responsibility for European weakness from his government to a convenient scapegoat. But what decisive measures has Germany taken recently that are commensurate with Ukraine's threat level and current needs? Where are the promised Taurus missiles? Merz has no moral ground [to blame anyone] until he fulfills his own promises and helps Ukraine get what it desperately needs to remain competitive on the battlefield.

Ukraine cannot defend Europe forever, especially with inadequate resources. While Europe is struggling with supplies, North Korean and Cuban soldiers are fighting on the front lines to support Putin's regime. Why are there no NATO soldiers in Ukraine? If Europe is not willing to send ground troops, what about pilots who could help defend Ukrainian airspace? Why can't it at least protect its own skies from Russian incursions? Europe has all the necessary resources (and more) - financial, military, technological - to win this war; all that remains is a matter of political will that will determine the course of hostilities.

If Ukraine is forced to submit to Russian demands - a plan that solidifies Putin's occupation and rewards his aggression - then Europe as an idea and as a political actor is long dead. If Putin achieves his goals in Ukraine and moves on, the next phase of his war will not necessarily look like the traditional military actions we have seen over the past four years. It may include them, but it will also unfold on other levels - like the hybrid warfare Putin has been waging for decades: in cyberspace, in the media, through manipulation of Western political parties, and through various proxy conflicts around the world.

The difference will be in scale: the attacks will no longer be disguised by participation in the international order, but will be the attacks of an unscrupulous and unpunished aggressor. The war to reshape the world system will no longer be fought covertly, but will become a coordinated, all-out effort to sabotage the West and roll back democratic progress. If we don't want to live in such a world, this is our last chance. Ukraine needs money and weapons to turn the tide of battle, and it needs a real place at the negotiating table to secure a peace that preserves its dignity and sovereignty.

As someone who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, what is happening today is particularly unfathomable to me. An American president backing a Russian dictator for profit; European leaders standing idly by while war rages on their doorstep. This is no longer a matter of years, but months. The war will spill over into Europe, the heart of the free world, if Putin is not stopped. Europe continues to operate in its old bureaucratic script, but it is time to shift gears. The war is developing at a different pace and according to a different logic.

Putin and his allies are using every lever available to them, with Hungary and Slovakia pushing the Russian agenda through official EU channels. Europe must block these avenues to the enemy and take its own military action. The cost of fighting Putin's aggression has risen daily since the war began and will continue to rise. Europe can make the necessary sacrifices now - or fight an even more brutal war on its own soil

Garry Kasparov, BILD

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