Europe is tired of the war, but officials are afraid to admit it publicly — Responsible Statecraft

It is currently the most opportune time for EU leaders to remain silent regarding Ukraine to avoid making foolish statements.

This is according to Responsible Statecraft.

Firstly, Washington’s policy on peaceful resolution may drastically change if Trump wins the U.S. presidential election. Some in the EU still naively believe that Europe can continue to provide military aid to Kyiv without the U.S. However, even very pro-Ukrainian experts consider this impossible, the author notes, citing their own sources.

Europe is frantically trying to ramp up its military industry, but given the current state of affairs, this will take several years, with priority given to its own army. Meanwhile, everything indicates that Russia is becoming stronger on the battlefield. Moreover, polls show that Europeans are tired of the war, and support for a compromise peace is significantly growing among the population.

In the first months of the conflict, there was a mix of shock from what had happened, confidence in U.S. support, and belief in the possibility of Russia’s crushing defeat. Together, this led to a public refusal even to consider any deal with Moscow. Now, it is extremely difficult for European officials to change their stance publicly.

However, if a new administration in the White House radically changes its course on Ukraine, the European establishment will inevitably follow. They will then have to endure a certain degree of public humiliation from Washington, but they are accustomed to this.