Carnegie Europe
- Search
- Global Resources
- Research Areas
Ongoing Projects
Blogs
Podcasts
Completed Projects
- Publications
- Experts
- Events
- About Us
- Join Our Email List
Shortcuts
Our Network
- Research Areas
Chancellor Scholz’s refusal to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine is antagonizing Germany’s allies and will negatively impact European integration. Berlin should seize this chance to shape history.
As Russia’s brutal attack continues, it is becoming increasingly clear that the war will have no winners. The West must do more to help Ukraine end the human suffering, attain a just peace, and preserve its sovereignty.
New Western commitments to deliver combat vehicles to Ukraine are putting Berlin on the spot. To prevent Russia from further destabilizing Europe, Germany must forge a special Europapolitik.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exposed important differences in European visions of future security. If left to fester, these will deepen resentment between Europe’s East and West.*
While Paris and Berlin continue to support Ukraine, their mixed signals toward Russia have unnerved some European partners as well as Kyiv. This ambivalence could puncture EU unity.
Only the combination of military assistance and reconstruction efforts now will one day put Ukraine in the position to decide if and when it wants to negotiate.
The EU’s failure to forge an effective migration and asylum policy undermines European integration and benefits the far right. Protecting EU external borders cannot come at the expense of migrants’ rights and lives.
The decline of democracy in the United States means Washington’s leadership role cannot be taken for granted. It is time Europe seriously invested in its own security and defense.
The Biden administration has led the Western military and economic response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Europe must be ready to act independently if and when Washington’s policy changes.
Getting forty-four leaders from across Europe to meet in Prague was an achievement in itself. But it involved substituting values and principles for realpolitik and left fundamental questions open.
The need to militarily assist Ukraine is another incentive for better coordinating defense investment at European level. The EU’s initiatives will only deliver if member states are guided by shared considerations.
Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine has exposed European countries’ diverging views of Moscow. These fissures will affect the EU’s policies toward Ukraine and Russia.
The decision to mobilize reservists and the ensuing domestic unrest points to Putin’s weakness. Western sanctions and military support for Ukraine are key to preventing a Russian victory.
Azerbaijan’s military action in Armenia has gravely damaged chances of a settlement. EU-mediated negotiations, the only viable peace talks, need greater international support.
A Russian victory against Ukraine would be devastating for Europe’s security and stability. European governments have no excuse for not realizing what is at stake.
Ukraine’s recent gains highlight the unpredictability of Russia’s war. The main challenge for Western governments, NATO, and the EU is to act in unison while adjusting to the evolving military dynamics.
The coming winter promises to be dark and difficult. But doomsters may be proven wrong in anticipating that the war effort in Ukraine’s support will divide the EU.
Most Western assistance to Ukraine, including weapons and training, has come from individual NATO member states. But without the alliance, this support would be less coordinated and not as substantial.
Both Moscow and Ankara are benefiting from Turkey’s mediating role since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Strategically, however, Putin has the upper hand.
Amid soaring energy prices, Russia’s continued war in Ukraine, and tensions over Taiwan, the EU will have no respite. The bloc mustn’t let internal crises distract from strategically dealing with external challenges.
Sign up to receive Judy Dempsey’s Strategic Europe updates in your inbox!