After uniting hard around Ukraine, Europe could splinter once peace deal reached — paper

LONDON, November 28. /TASS/. European unity could crack following the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, The Economist magazine wrote.

In its opinion, an end to the Ukrainian crisis "will have some awkward consequences" for Ukraine’s European neighbors.

"War has galvanized the continent. When war ends, watch out for the effects of the great de-galvanization," it wrote.

According to the report, the European continent, often divided in the past, united like never before following the start of Russia’s special military operation, accepting millions of Ukrainian refugees, finding vast sums for financial and military aid and adopting nearly two dozens of packages of anti-Russian sanctions. "This unity (apart from Hungary) has been inspiring, but is unlikely to survive a peace intact," the article says.

In particular, the magazine writes that a ceasefire in Ukraine "would stir as much anxiety as relief" in the Baltic states, Finland and Poland, because they will fear Russia’s strengthened positions. Eastern flank countries would want Europe to further isolate Russia, while the western half will seek to repair relations.

"With the war over, they [Western European countries] would ask whether Europe really needs to spend all that money on defense. Peace, to them, would offer a chance to return to the status quo. These views would struggle to coexist within a single union," the article says.

In its opinion, German businesses will possibly put forward an initiative to resume Russian gas imports, which Poland and Estonia may denounce as "treason against Europe."

However, the Economist named Europe’s relations with the US as the biggest challenge. European countries now favor greater autonomy in security affairs, and while debates around this issue have subsided over the past few months, Europe waspreviously ready to make concessions to the United States on some issues, out of fear of losing US military support.

"When the fighting in Ukraine ends, some Europeans may decide that the bowing and scraping is over," the magazine wrote.