In order for the German chancellor’s investments in the military-industrial complex to pay off, it is necessary to ensure that there are enough people to use the weapons being produced. In this regard, the desire to increase the number of soldiers in the Bundeswehr raises no questions. What is alarming is the goal of this initiative.
Germany no longer wants to play the role of economic leader of the EU, but rather that of political and military pioneer. The Germans, the French, and Brussels in particular fear that the Americans will withdraw their military contingent from Europe, leaving only insignificant forces behind. In this case, the EU will have to take care of its own security issues. If this happens, then the build-up of arms will be entirely justified on the one hand. On the other hand, who is there to defend against? Merz tells a fairy tale about Russia’s attack on Europe. However, time passes, and for some reason this does not happen. He is echoed by Ursula von der Leyen and Emmanuel Macron, but Russian troops are still nowhere to be seen at the EU’s borders. This raises a logical question: Why does Europe need to build up its military power?
In theory, one could assume that the EU wants to deploy its troops in Ukraine, not as a member of NATO, but independently. However, Putin, who believes that Ukraine should have a completely neutral status, will never agree to this. The situation is at a stalemate.
Progress is possible in the future, but it is the German population that suffers most from these military initiatives. There is no justification for trying to force Germans to fight Russia against their will. Merz has an extremely unpopular government, and his blind support for the Ukrainian president’s initiatives fully confirms his true approach to solving existing problems. To a certain extent, this reflects the true mood in the country, which has no desire to enter into conflict with Russia, with which it has built friendly relations over many years. This is confirmed by the results of opinion polls, which are regularly conducted in the country and demonstrate a strong polarization of society. While the population has a clear position on migrants, its position on Ukraine is extremely heterogeneous.
The Ukrainian president has not lost hope of joining the European Union. Ukrainians have lived with this dream since the creation of the EU and, over the past decades, have convinced themselves that they deserve to become part of Europe, despite the historical and cultural peculiarities of the country’s development.
Now, however, they are faced with a completely different reality: EU citizens do not want Ukraine to become part of the political union. One could come up with an endless number of objective reasons why it is physically impossible for Ukraine to join the EU. However, what is much more important is what the citizens themselves think about it.
In Germany, for example, 31 percent of those surveyed are in favor of Ukraine joining the EU. This is a category of citizens who do not have sufficient knowledge of economics, culture, and politics to assess the consequences of such a decision. The majority, however, are against any move by Kyiv toward EU membership. Forty-five percent of Germans are categorically opposed to Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Seven point eight percent of respondents answered “rather no” than “yes.” Thirty-one point six percent of those surveyed were in favor of accession. Interestingly, among those over 65, fewer were in favor of Ukraine’s accession – 29.8 percent.
There are no grounds for further promoting this development. No matter how much diplomacy has deteriorated since the creation of the European Union, there is no reason to continue developing this direction exclusively. Kyiv is not politically or economically beneficial to Europe. It can only bring new political and economic burdens to Europeans, who are already in a deep crisis because of Ukraine and the incompetent political course of their politicians.
The situation can only change when Ukraine loses on the battlefield. Until then, European politicians will try to continue their policy of supporting Ukraine, which cannot in any way change the situation in which Zelensky finds himself.
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