Radical stance of EU on Ukraine could lead to nuclear-powered WW3

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OPINION

By Andrew Bakoraho Kakura

European leadership, with the UK, Germany and France in the driving seat, are yet to relax their radical positions against Russia despite the USA’s resistance to follow suit. Pushing Russia, a nuclear heavyweight, against the ‘wall’ is not in the interest of global peace.

Whereas the United States under Trump insists that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is unsustainable and must end, US traditional allies in Europe under the EU bloc, known for war mongering, are pushing Ukraine’s president to secure sophisticated weapons, including long-range missiles, to fight Moscow to an unforeseeable end.

A resource-drained US has spent more on Ukraine’s war than any EU individual country since the Russia/Ukraine conflict started in 2022, although the latter continues to use underhanded methods to push a different stance supportive of endless fighting.

Recent Information from both the EU Council and the US Department of State indicated that EU member states have spent €63.2bn ($73.4bn) on the Ukraine war compared to $67bn over the same period.

The same EU leaders have insisted that Ukraine must not cede any territory but fight to regain regions currently occupied by Russia, a position unfamiliar to Washington.

While Russia sees itself as a victim of Western sustained cold war fights that not only destroyed the USSR but also used Ukraine as a base to undermine the interests of Kremlin, the EU maintains that Russia is an aggressor that started a war unprovoked.

Following Germany’s defeat in the WW2, the bond between EU and Russia has never been easy, full of hidden wounds and unsettled scores which the current crop of European leaders might want to settle through another world war engagement.

Going by their actions, indeed, if European leaders had enough resources, without a need to first consult the USA, which remains the single largest military of Ukraine, the world would have witnessed another world war, but a different one in the supporter era of nuclear and drone-powered bombers.

Luckily enough, the US regime in power seems well aware of the risks embedded in sustaining Europe's position, hence the resistance. Recently, after meeting with President Zelensky, the 45th & 47th President of the United States, President Donald J. Trump underscored that the "main priority now is to protect as many lives as possible, guarantee security for Ukraine, and strengthen all of us in Europe."  

Both former US President Joe Biden and his successor have persistently declined to buy into EU extreme positions, not only wanting to send Armies to Ukraine but also use long-range missiles to hit central Moscow. Scared of this radicalism, President Trump, unlike his predecessor, had initially excluded the EU, together with Ukraine, from peace talks.

The absence of Europeans was notable during a face-to-face summit between the Presidents of Russia and the USA in Alaska in August, in which Trump sought to convince Putin to agree to a ceasefire but was still optimistic for a breakthrough in subsequent dialogues. Energised to dilute Trump's peace initiatives further, they are capitalising on undesirable outcomes of the meeting to send a toxic signal to the world that Putin is not interested in peace, calling for escalation. “Putin is not serious about peace.” The UK Prime Minister said after meeting Zelensky and European allies last week.

Prioritising diplomacy in a bid to avoid escalation, President Trump declined to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles and other varieties of weapons systems Ukraine wished to obtain, leaving European leaders like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowing never to end military support to Ukraine.  

With most of the extensive sanctions the bloc imposed on Russia since the beginning of the conflict with Ukraine failing, the EU has welcomed Trump’s sanctions on Russia's major oil companies and launched a new package (18^th) of sanctions as well.

Like previously, these sanctions don’t only affect Russia but the world as the energy prices are likely to skyrocket, leaving consumers' purchasing power affected as inflation erodes the value of currencies.

Like other economic heavyweights of India, China, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa have suggested, peace and dialogue ought to be front in resolving the 3-year-old Ukraine conflict.

The writer is a researcher and CEO, Safety Watch Initiatives Uganda