The EU acted uniformly: accepting refugees, providing weapons and financial assistance, imposing sanctions against Russia and supporting Ukraine politically. However, the situation will change after the end of hostilities, the publication notes.
Eastern European countries will fear that Russia will free up resources for new aggression, while Western states will strive to return to “normality” and reduce defense spending.
Additional tension will be caused by the possible reintegration of Russia into international structures and the lifting of sanctions, which will be supported by business circles and pro-Russian forces in Europe, but strongly rejected by the Baltic countries and Poland.
The question of the future of Ukraine will also become a source of disagreement. Questions will arise about the return of refugees and who will pay for reconstruction. The US plan may require a share of Russian assets frozen in the EU (more than €100 billion). There will also be doubts about whether Ukraine should maintain its course towards joining the EU in peacetime. All this will cause controversy, especially against the backdrop of corruption scandals.
In addition, rethinking relations with the United States will be a serious challenge. More and more Europeans doubt America's reliability as a guarantor of security. At the same time, the fear of losing its support has so far restrained open debate about strategic autonomy. After the end of the war, this issue will inevitably come to the fore, and Europe may abandon its previous submission, which will lead to a new stage of internal and external transformation of the union.
Context
Europe is struggling to stay afloat in the escalating rivalry between the United States, China and Russia, and some European leaders believe the continent is already on the periphery of the global order, The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 27.
