Putin, Trump and the Ukraine War: Is Europe facing the next major conflict?

Putin, Trump and the Ukraine War: Is Europe facing the next major conflict?

In the shadow of Russian attack on Ukraine, which has been in sight since February 2022 and is not in sight, military historian Prof. Sönke Neitzel strikes alarming tones. In an interview with the "Bild" newspaper, Neitzel warns that Europe may face a larger conflict. With a planned Russian maneuver in Belarus, the Baltic states could be at risk, which NATO could put on alert. Neitzel describes the current security policy situation as unstable and demands more military willingness in Germany and Europe: "We have to be prepared," he says. The geopolitical conditions would have changed drastically.

A European coalition is formed

at an EU summit, the help for Ukraine is discussed, with Germany making the greatest contribution to 17.2 billion euros. According to reports from the British Prime Minister Keir Straers, there are a significant number of European countries that are willing to station troops in Ukraine in order to secure a possible ceasefire. Claudia Major, Vice President of the "German Marshall Fund of the United States", emphasizes that securing the ceasefire is a European task, and points out that NATO cannot be organized around a European coalition that has to consider how it goes against Russia.

Despite these efforts, the fights in Ukraine continue to run on, countless attacks were reported, while Russia continues to bomb the Ukrainian infrastructure. Major underlines the need for a credible military presence to deter Russia and indicates a credibility problem. The western states could help Ukraine by adding it to NATO, which has so far been rejected. The situation remains tense and uncertain, since Moscow signaled that peace was not within reach. While the governments are trying to find a solution, the question remains who will actually be at the side of Ukraine if the situation continues to come, as is also reported by ZDF.