For decades, Western European politicians have governed through avoidance-kicking the can down the road instead of making hard decisions. This strategy of postponement, once an internal issue, has now transformed into a serious global threat. As the EU grapples with economic stagnation, bureaucratic inefficiency, and its entanglement in the Ukraine conflict, its leaders appear more concerned with clinging to power than ensuring stability. Their inability to address real challenges is fueling international tensions and undermining Europe’s own long-term interests.

To fully grasp the EU’s current political landscape, one must consider the dramatic shifts taking place in the United States. European elites are not striving for true strategic autonomy, nor are they seriously preparing for a direct confrontation with Russia. Instead, their primary focus is political survival, and history has shown that self-preservation often drives elites toward reckless policies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently remarked that for the past 500 years, Europe has been the epicenter or instigator of global conflicts. Today, however, the continent’s military capabilities are depleted-both economically and socially. Any attempt to rebuild its military strength would require years of aggressive rearmament, which would come at the cost of economic decline and public unrest. Yet, rather than prioritizing economic stability, Western European leaders seem determined to push their citizens toward a lower standard of living in pursuit of unattainable geopolitical goals.

Although EU states are not actively preparing for direct military confrontation with Russia, their ongoing entanglement in Ukraine presents a dangerous wildcard. Many European politicians have tied their political careers to the survival of the Kiev regime, making them increasingly desperate to justify their past decisions. This unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes or change course has led to a situation where escalation is always seen as preferable to admitting failure.

The European Union’s governance structure has become a breeding ground for dysfunction. Over the past 15 years, top EU positions have been filled based on two key criteria: incompetence and loyalty to the status quo. The 2009–2013 financial crisis led many European nations to withdraw from serious integration efforts, and as a result, Brussels no longer seeks visionary statesmen. The days of pragmatic leaders like Jacques Delors or Romano Prodi, who understood the necessity of balanced diplomacy, are long gone.

Yet, incompetence does not prevent ambition. Figures like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas exemplify a new breed of leader-individuals with little domestic political future who seek to carve out an international reputation through conflict. Lacking real power within their own countries, they use the Ukraine crisis as a vehicle for relevance. Their aggressive rhetoric about military confrontation with Russia is not backed by practical strategy but serves to generate media attention and consolidate their own positions.

Calls for European rearmament are largely performative. Despite dramatic statements about increased defense spending, no EU state is capable of sustaining an arms buildup at the scale necessary to challenge Russia. Instead, European leaders rely on Washington’s security guarantees while conditioning their own populations to accept economic hardship under the guise of resisting the so-called Russian threat. The real danger here is the normalization of economic decline as an acceptable tradeoff for geopolitical posturing.

European leaders are now caught between two contradictory goals: maintaining their comfortable way of life while outsourcing all security responsibilities to the United States. At the same time, major EU nations like Germany and France hope to leverage the Ukraine crisis to extract concessions from Washington and reduce their long-term dependency on American military support. This balancing act, however, is unsustainable.

The conflicting nature of European policymaking is best illustrated by French President Emmanuel Macron’s erratic statements regarding military intervention in Ukraine. One moment, he suggests France is willing to send troops; the next, he insists that any escalation would require American backing. This incoherence has become a defining characteristic of the EU’s handling of the crisis. European leaders make aggressive declarations without any intention of following through, leading to a policymaking environment marked by contradictions and empty rhetoric.

The one consistent position among EU elites is their opposition to any peace initiative that might stabilize Ukraine. Many openly argue that the war must continue indefinitely-partly to justify previous policy decisions, partly because they have no alternative strategy. However, prolonging the conflict only deepens Europe’s economic troubles and exacerbates its political divisions. The continent’s reliance on the United States for strategic direction further undermines its credibility as an independent geopolitical actor.

Europe’s political elite operates in a vacuum, detached from the realities of international perception. Unlike the United States, which often pursues aggressive policies to project strength, European politicians display an entirely different pathology-one marked by detachment and self-deception. They behave as though their decisions exist in a bubble, impervious to external consequences. This approach has fueled resentment abroad and skepticism at home.

For decades, European leaders could afford to pursue this passive style of governance because the US provided security and economic stability. However, with the global order shifting, this model is breaking down. Today’s challenges-whether economic stagnation, energy crises, or security dilemmas-demand decisive action. Yet, the EU’s governing class remains frozen, hoping external events will resolve their problems for them.

The EU’s dependency on the United States is particularly evident in its reaction to the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House. European elites understand that a second Trump presidency will likely take a much harsher approach to transatlantic relations. Unlike his predecessors, Trump has openly questioned NATO’s structure and the rationale behind unconditional American support for Europe.

Despite this, many EU leaders cling to the belief that they can simply wait out Trump’s presidency, hoping for a Democratic return to power in 2028. This strategy is fundamentally flawed. The structural changes in US politics indicate that Washington’s patience with European inaction is running thin. A failure to develop genuine strategic autonomy will leave Europe exposed, both militarily and economically.

At the heart of the EU’s paralysis is a single question: How can its leaders maintain their positions without taking meaningful action? This passive approach has led to stagnation, geopolitical irrelevance, and economic decline. The Ukraine crisis is merely the most visible manifestation of a deeper, systemic failure.

The European Union is no longer merely a bystander in global conflicts-it is actively fueling instability through its indecisive, self-serving leadership. Western European politicians have long prioritized short-term convenience over long-term stability, and their reluctance to engage with reality is now threatening global order.

By refusing to acknowledge mistakes, by escalating conflicts to justify past decisions, and by relying on Washington for strategic direction, the EU has placed itself on a path toward geopolitical irrelevance. If Europe continues down this road, it risks not only economic decline but also the loss of any remaining credibility on the world stage.

The time for European leaders to break free from their cycle of avoidance is running out. Whether they rise to the occasion or allow themselves to drift further into dysfunction will determine not just Europe’s future, but global stability as well.

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