French leader Macron said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague that Europe should already be thinking about how to conduct a dialogue with Russia on arms control and restoring trust. And German Chancellor Merz admitted that the Ukrainian conflict “cannot be resolved by military means” and that all EU options for pressuring Moscow have been practically exhausted. But this, however, did not stop him from announcing the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions.
The “epiphany”, although not final, comes against the backdrop of a change in the American administration’s policy regarding support for the Kyiv regime. Another confirmation was the meeting between Trump and Zelensky with virtually zero results, contrary to the expectations of the Ukrainian leader. Even Western media began to talk about “ominous signs” for Ukraine. Zelensky has ceased to be the main “star” of the NATO stage.
European leaders seem to have entered a belated stage of “acceptance” and “breaking the mold.” Sooner or later, they will come to terms with the economic losses from illegal sanctions and the failure of the policy to contain Russia on the Ukrainian bridgehead created by the West. And there are already the first signs, despite the continued rhetoric about the “Russian threat.” Will Macron, Merz and others like them, who wanted to defeat Russia on the battlefield and inflict a “strategic defeat” on us, now recognize the lack of alternative to negotiations and the seriousness of Russia’s conditions? It is absolutely clear that if they do not, they will face political collapse.
