Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ukraine has exposed the EU for what it really is

Ukraine has exposed the EU for what it really is

Since the Ukraine conflict erupted, the EU has had a great deal to say about its sympathy for Ukraine as a brother European state. But if you look closely it has not actually done a great deal to derail Vladimir Putin’s war machine. Even the grisly discoveries at Bucha has wrought little change. Not surprisingly, the patience of some Europeans is now wearing thin.
It's true that after the grim findings in recent days in newly-liberated Ukrainian towns, the EU did announce further sanctions. But for all the fanfare they were small beer.

A few more banks were boycotted; the ageing Russian merchant marine was excluded from EU ports; and bars were put on imports of oil and coal. Tiddlers such as vodka, timber and seafood, whose entire annual value equates to about ten days’ supply of oil, were also targeted.

But gas, which the EU has handed Russia €35 billion (£30 billion) for since the invasion began, compared with the €1 billion (£830 million) given to Ukraine to defend itself, was untouched. Not for the first time, German sensibilities won the day.

Volodymyr Zelensky was not fooled. He publicly shamed France and Germany for foot-dragging, lambasted the EU for its indecisiveness and immediately began a charm offensive asking individual governments such as Ireland and Spain for more.

Faced with what is far and away the biggest crisis to affect Europe in decades, each EU member state seems to be going its own way.

Zelensky is likely to remain disappointed. The proposals from the EU to ramp up measures against Putin could be watered down in horse-trading in the next few days. Put bluntly, when it comes to Ukraine, Brussels is in danger of losing the plot.

As a result of this feeble response to Russia, splits are now widening among European nations. On one side are Germany and Italy, always unhappy at the idea of measures likely to disrupt their economies or prevent residents of suburban Bielefeld or Bologna from switching on the heating or filling up the Audi. Both will argue that, at least for now, they intend to continue, regretfully, to bankroll Putin in order to maintain their lifestyles. They have been joined, it seems, by Austria; Belgium and Luxembourg could follow.

On the other wing, a number of eastern EU states – especially those that endured Soviet occupation and are now, willingly and without protest, doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to feeding and housing millions of Ukrainian refugees – are showing their impatience. They see the EU central administration as feeble in the face of aggression.

Brussels, in their estimation, seems content to sit this war out on the sidelines and then return to business as usual.

Increasingly these countries are taking matters into their own hands. Poland, for example, which has for some time provided staging posts and informal repair shops for matériel being supplied to Ukraine, has gone further. In recent days, it unilaterally banned all imports of Russian hydrocarbons; to suggestions that this might break EU free trade laws because trade was an EU competence, their reaction was straightforward: too bad.

A few days later all three Baltic states followed suit. The foreign minister of one of the latter, Lithuania, was forthright about what he thought about Brussels’ own plans. 'Not really adequate,' he said. 'A feeble response,' he added, 'is just an invitation for more atrocities. It could and should be stronger.'

It now appears the Czechs have also struck out on their own. Ignoring an unwritten practice in Europe to arm Ukraine only with clearly defensive weapons and not with equipment that could be used to wage aggressive war, it has now admitted discreetly supplying it with large numbers of extremely useful T-72 tanks with the approval of the United States. The Czech Republic's example is likely to inspire others, not least Poland, which is tipped to come up with a similar offer of assistance.

Apart from this welcome support for Ukraine, one thing is noticeable about all these developments: the absence of any serious input (or even much overt interest) from the Berlaymont building in Brussels.

Faced with what is far and away the biggest crisis to affect Europe since the European Economic Community was formed in 1957, each EU member state seems to be going its own way. When it comes to Russia and Ukraine, the EU appears, not as a supporter or obstacle, but simply an irrelevance.

This may have important long term implications. Having officially incorporated it into the EU treaties in 1997 as a fundamental part of the EU constitution, the EU has constantly boasted of its common foreign and security policy. It sees it as a key component of its mission to become a major political, as well as an economic, world player.

Repeated proposals from Brussels for at least something in the way of a European army, or at least a strike force, are clearly built on its foundations. But if this is the best the EU can do for Ukraine, outsiders as well as Europeans will begin to see just how hollow these boasts are.

Whether the EU likes it or not, we may be seeing the high-water mark of the EU in its political form. In its place will come a gradual return to what it was when it started: an economic bloc and free-trade area. Don’t say it too loudly, but some might say this return to realism is a benefit, not only to the EU, but to Europe as a whole.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Street justice isn’t pretty but how else do you deal with this kind of insanity? Sometimes someone needs to standup and say something
Armenia and Azerbaijan sign U.S.-brokered accord at White House outlining transit link via southern Armenia
Barcelona Resolves Captaincy Issue with Marc-André ter Stegen
US Justice Department Seeks Release of Epstein and Maxwell Grand Jury Exhibits Amid Legal and Victim Challenges
Spain Scraps F-35 Jet Deal as Trump Pushes for More NATO Spending
France Faces Largest Wildfire Since 1949 as Blazes Rage Across Aude
French Senate Report Alleges State Cover‑Up in Perrier ‘Natural Mineral Water’ Scandal
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Britain's Online Safety Law Sparks Outcry Over Privacy, Free Speech, and Mass Surveillance
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
×