NEW YORK, December 10. /TASS/. The European Union, having found itself in a secondary role in the Ukrainian settlement process, lacks a strategy for ending the conflict in Ukraine, The New York Times (NYT) newspaper wrote.
According to the publication, the Europeans find themselves caught between two fires, Russia and the US, with "no strategy of their own to end the war." The dismissive attitude of US President Donald Trump towards what he called a "decaying" Europe has attracted considerable attention, but this is only part of the problem facing European leaders, the article stated. They are also grappling with challenges such as "budget shortfalls, worsening public opinion and the far right" in their attempts to ensure their countries' security and assist Kiev.
Given the stakes, Europe has a lot to do to become a convincing player. As one European official cited by NYT put it, "outrage is enjoyable, but not a policy."
EU country leaders still have to convince European voters that actions regarding Ukraine are "worth the price" and that this purpose requires additional military spending and increased army sizes, including "new forms of conscription." They also need to put more effort into countering the challenge posed by populist, nationalist far-right parties, "that the Trump administration, in its new national security strategy, explicitly says it will support in Europe," the newspaper has noted.