Skip to content Skip to footer

(Photo taken from debatingeurope.eu)

 

by Roman Rukomeda

The European and global security has failed after Russia has started the hybrid and then open war against Ukraine in 2014. Now Europe is living in new security reality no matter European capitals and leaders admit it or not. Whole set of international security legislation turned into useless papers after Russian president Putin decided to change global rules of coexistence and international relations. Until the new security system will emerge Europe’s only chance against Russia’s aggression is NATO, US missile-defense shield and Ukrainian army deterring Putin’s soldiers in Eastern Ukrainian regions.

After the annexation of Crimea and direct Russian intrusion in the East of Ukraine there are no more acting treaties about the European security. So the only option left for the countries bordering Russia is such collective security systems as NATO. Within the Alliance the only leader who can really protect from Russian hybrid war or nuclear missile attack are the Unites States with their high technological level of military development. As many European countries within the NATO (like Germany, France, Italy and some others) prefer to return to “making business with Russia as usual” Poland, Romania and Baltic states can only count on the American missile-defense shield. And it is the best time to settle it as Putin himself broke all the possible treaties and agreements in security sphere. So Europe does not have to worry how Russia will react on missile-defense systems in Eastern European EU-member states.

In Washington such situation is perfectly understood and the decision of deploying the missile-defense shield in Eastern European countries is taken. This step will allow US to complete its global protection system from any massive missile attacks from East or from the West. Fast creation of missile-defense shield in Europe before reaching new fundamental security agreements in Europe and on global scale means that Unites States are effectively using their window of opportunity. The threats from Moscow to make new targets out of European countries and their capitals (that deploy missile-defense system) such as Denmark are worth little as Russia has no potential to develop its military sphere close to the American level under the regime of sanctions and low oil and gas prices. That is why the US decision to stop any negotiations with Russia around missile-defense system in Eastern Europe is made in perfectly right time.

Putin by his actions in Ukraine opened all the opportunities for US, NATO and EU. And they are using it. Poland launched the process of missile-defense system deployment on its territory. Baltic states are coming. Russia can do nothing with that. All what is left for Putin is pure bluffing and demonstration of Russian army strength in Ukraine by renewing direct military combat. No more Russian pressure on Eastern European states will work as Moscow runs out of money and they have only intimidation as the instrument of lobbying their policy in Eastern Europe. But the refusal of all European leaders to visit Moscow on 9th of May showed that Putin had lost all his influence.

So the Eastern missile-defense shield in Europe is emerging. American military technologies are the only hope for EU to save its normal way of living in new world without any fixed security rules. So far Eastern and Northern European countries like Poland and Baltic states show much more political wisdom than Russian – oriented Germany, France and Italy. Does it prove that European geopolitical center has strongly moved to the Eastern Europe?