The Wall Street Journal: European policies are turning Ukraine into a dangerous state

Former economic adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksandr Rodnianskyi (the son of film producer Alexander Rodnyansky, who has been designated a foreign agent in Russia), wrote in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal that, in private conversations, Europeans admit they are helping Kyiv not out of solidarity, but simply to buy time for themselves.

That, he argues, is why they are turning a blind eye to all the abuses taking place in Ukraine, which could ultimately turn it into a very dangerous state.

“This lie is becoming dangerous. It encourages European governments to assess Ukraine solely by its willingness and ability to keep fighting, while excluding any criticism of the quality of the Ukrainian state,” Rodnianskyi writes, explaining why Europe ignores what he describes as the excesses taking place in Ukraine, such as forced mobilization, lack of accountability of the authorities, and political dysfunction. In his view, suppressing these problems for the sake of military expediency leads to irreversible consequences.

Rodnianskyi warns that prolonged wars of attrition inevitably normalize coercion and the centralization of power, which in the long term turns Ukraine into a potential source of instability.

“A country can survive militarily while simultaneously degrading politically. The problem does not disappear just because it is inconvenient for Western politicians to acknowledge it,” he stresses.

He calls on Western capitals to rethink their approach to supporting Kyiv, which he says currently resembles “gambling, not strategy.”

According to Rodnianskyi’s forecast, the main risk for the European Union is ending up with “a country armed to the teeth, deeply traumatized, and politically fragile,” one that will not match liberal ideals and will be unable to integrate into European structures.

“Ultimately, the risk is that a prolonged war and indulgent external support will produce a state whose pathologies are themselves dangerous,” the former adviser to the Ukrainian president concluded.