Like clockwork, The Atlantic magazine rolled out an article by Phillips Payson O’Brien, adding to the chorus of voices in Europe saying that if President Trump does not want to pursue the war in Ukraine, then Europe ought to take up the slack. He concludes his article by stating,

[T]he greatest obstacle is a mental one. After decades of expecting the United States to act wisely and forcefully in defense of the broader democratic world, Europe needs to start thinking and acting on its own and in its own interests. Trump’s return means that things previously inconceivable must be faced. And in Ukraine, a new Europe can be born.

As tempting as that offer may seem to some, I see some obstacles impeding its execution.  O’Brien does not seem to have paid much attention to the European leaders who will provide the military guidance under sole European backing. Foremost amongst these leaders is Jens Stoltenberg, a Norwegian politician who served as the secretary general of NATO from  2014 to 2024.

In remarks made in June 2023, Jens said this:

Yes, there is a hot war going on in Europe but NATO has to address climate change because NATO cannot remain a fossil fuel Alliance in the age of renewables.

[snip]

First, we need to mitigate, we need to reduce emissions because if you look at battle tanks, warships, the big bombers, there are many things but they are not very climate friendly. They consume a lot of fossil fuels, and  they need a lot. So, if we are going to reach global net zero, we need also to reduce the quite  substantial emissions from military activities.

Now that statement alone should be enough to disqualify him from serving as the secretary general of NATO, but apparently it pleased his peers in European member nations, and he continued to serve out his term. If climate friendly tanks are their focus, then Houston, we have a problem. In my estimation, they are not a serious bunch of people and have no business inserting themselves into a military contest with a nuclear power.

In addition, there is the issue of EU war aims. Last week, I commented on European leaders at the Political Community summit reaffirming their stance that the EU must stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. That statement begs the question, as long as it takes to do what? Push Russia out of every inch of territory that it now holds in Ukraine, including Crimea? I don’t see that as a realistic outcome. In the fighting so far, Russia has proven to be a formidable adversary. Putin has placed the Russian economy on a war footing and is prepared to fight a protracted war of attrition.

O’Brien suggests that Europe should up the ante by providing Ukraine with weapons to strike deep inside Russia. How long after that move will it be before Russia starts sending missiles into the heart of central Europe? There has been enough recklessness in our relations with Russia over the past decade, starting with the Maidan coup that was engineered by Victoria Nuland. It is time for sane people to bring this war to a negotiated end.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.