Every European, including the British, should be feeling ashamed yet also galvanised, having listened to President Zelensky address the so-called elite at Davos about how Europe has done virtually nothing towards defeating Putin since the same address last year at Davos. He wants Ukraine to be a full member of Europe helping it to wean itself off dependence on the USA and to become a force in the world, which today it is not.
He applauded with false praise the fine European words but decried their inability to act without the full backing of the USA, without whose approval they seem powerless when it comes to resisting Putin. This address began with the Groundhog Day analogy, its main relevance being how every day is the same Groundhog Day for Ukrainian people being ground down and bombed by Putin and his criminal gang. Each day hundreds of missiles and drones pound residential areas, schools, hospitals, power stations and lines as Ukrainians freeze to death in Putin’s mass murder, not to mention the displaced millions. Against that background Zelensky listed the European inactions since last year’s Davos. This is another wake-up call for Europe, but will it sleep through this one too?
INACTION HAS ONLY STRENGTHENED PUTIN
Zelensky is grateful on behalf of his nation for the support Europe has provided but observes that Europeans only said they would eventually up their military spending in response to Trump threats; and the build-up is still largely represented by statements, not by hardware and fighting forces.
Europe panicked when Trump threatened Greenland and the end of NATO, sending just 40 soldiers to that icy land, and Zelensky asked what use are 40 soldiers: a meaningless gesture not real action. Does not the European reaction epitomise its typical come running response to the Trump dog whistle?
Putin is denounced as a war criminal to be tried in International Criminal Court and if one man on this earth is a war criminal it is Putin. But Europe does nothing to start a tribunal and action prosecution, and the crimes continue. Is Europe going to acquiesce in Trump’s Board of Peace if Putin joins it?
Europe allows Russia’s shadow fleet with fossil fuels to sail Europe’s seas, doing nothing to stop them. Their rule-bound minds deny possible action for fear of breaking International Law: but Russia is at war with Europe through Ukraine and across the Continent and laughs at International Law. These cargos pay for Russia’s missiles and drones and the rest of the war machine which is demolishing Ukraine and murdering civilians daily. Russia has foregone the right to International Law protection. Yet Europe only stops these ships, such as those coming from Venezuela with oil for Russia, when dragged there by Trump’s lead. Trump himself pragmatically perhaps has no fear of International Law when pursuing criminals. Europe should surely act to cut this financial pipeline, at least in waters where it should hold sway.
Russian missiles and other weapons incorporate parts from China but also European companies: why does Europe not stop this? Zelensky senses the hypocrisy of taking the Russian rouble and not preventing its corporations assisting the Russian war effort.
Europe has frozen hundreds of billions of Russian dollars, mostly in Belgium. But Europe has not the will to use those assets to help Ukraine, afraid of retaliation and law suits. The retaliation is potentially real, but Putin is winning this battle too. Again, Zelensky decries the weakness and cowardice.
Russians all over European soil are disrupting and deceiving European societies, even destroying infrastructure. Cutting undersea cables? Europe lets them do it. Why not stop them? Again, the rule of International Law justifies inaction in the legalistic European leaders’ minds against a sworn enemy who daily commits war and other crimes.
And Europeans will not allow Ukraine to talk about receiving long range missiles such as Germany’s Taurus, to defend itself. Half-hearted because of fear.
Europe let Belarus fall to Russian acolytes years ago and now Russian missiles point at European cities from Belarus. That could have been prevented. Will the same be allowed to befall Ukraine?
Ukraine can help Europe, but Europe and NATO have not let them in. Zelensky sees strength in European unity but sees a Europe of self-interested nations. He rightly questions too whether the NATO alliance will really come to the aid of Lithuania, for example, if Putin invades it, for fear of open warfare: although that is what NATO is designed for.
Europe continues not to take any lead in any world events, including in making peace for Ukraine. Europe follows Trump. A strong Europe, which is what the world needs, would not be a follower but a leader, and Ukraine wants to be part of that. And Europe is simply too slow, indecisive: it must speed up. Zelensky ‘s is a call to arms of action so that Europe can rapidly wean itself from the shelter of the Trump security umbrella: until it does so, Europe will be trampled on by Trump’s sclerotic desires.
WILL EUROPE REACT?
The Financial Times sums up the European unsustainable approach so far “Hope for the best and prepare for the best”. Mark Carney of Canada recites a new order being established and urges democratic nations to change and move with and shape the times, not be shaped by them. So does Zelensky. Europe is economically several times stronger than Russia and should be capable of exercising global muscle. A good start would be for leaders to admit they have been weak but now tell their people they have to step up, with action not just words, to really deal with the existential threat which Russia poses.
While Zelensky dare not criticise Trump, is his real message that he is beholden to him because Europe is weak, and can only throw off the shackles of Trump if Europe unites and acts with decisiveness independently, no longer as a Trump lapdog? Otherwise, all the words of European leaders that Ukraine must not be forced to give up territory will just be empty words, as Trump demands Zelensky to give up Ukrainian land, riches and people which Russia wants. Europeans can hang their heads in shame or can be galvanized to face up to their responsibility to save Ukraine, but they have to have their nations do things which will of course come at a significant price.
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