The EU has a combined GDP of $22bn and Russia has around $4bn so I don't see why the countries of Europe can't band together to deter Russia. — BitconnectCarlos
1. Aggregating GDP of EU countries doesn't make much sense if one overlooks the deep divisions over security issues among European countries, especially as perceived by a spoiled and old populace ("people want peace" not justice, not freedom, not prosperity, "people do not want immigration or the EU and euro" traditionalist and ethnically pure nation states waaaaaaaaay better than technological advanced big sovra-national markets and powers).
It would be different if Europe had its own Putin who centralized federal power, wrecked all forms of national independence by destroying and butchering civilians, murdering and imprisoning reluctant economic, financial, industrial elites, independant press journalists and political activists, who could send Italians, Germans, French, Netherlands, Hungarians, Poles as cannon fodder or criminals or mercenaries and threat nuclear wars to establish red-lines. It's not primarily matter of means but of unity over long term goals. This is a PRO-RUSSIAN RUSSIAN ANALYST that makes it clear this point and which Europeans should veeeeeery carefully listen to:
Since the military conflict in Ukraine is not an all out war, the loser will not be the side who physically runs out of strength, but rather the one who loses the will to fight sooner. What is important here is a clear vision of victory and a clear strategy for achieving it.
Russia initially had problems with this: The start came as a shock to everyone and just as suddenly turned into a protracted military conflict with a series of humiliating defeats. [1]
Russian society was able to withstand the blow last year and – albeit not immediately, only towards the end of the year – pulled itself together and prepared for a long and hard struggle. The conception of our victory is clear: We still need the demilitarization of Ukraine (a radical reduction of its army), neutral status for Kiev (and a mechanism to control it) and the recognition of some form of territorial changes. The latter, by the way, will be the most difficult legally; here – for the sake of international legitimacy – Jesuitical forms such as a 99-year lease are possible. But we are getting ahead of ourselves, on this point.
Although this concept of victory has not been articulated, it is intuitively clear; the actions of the authorities at all levels do not contradict it; and society, although not very happy (only people who are not completely healthy enjoy armed conflicts), has rallied and is ready, if not to participate directly, then to support or at least tolerate it. All this will sooner or later produce results at the front – IF THE ENEMY DOES NOT RESPOND WITH THE SAME UNITY.
(source:
https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/articles/counteroffensive-is-failing/)
[1] Who remembers those idiots, pardon I meant the maximum experts on economy, military, propaganda, morality, geopolitical realism, in this thread who were spinning the pro-Russian "feint theory" raise your hands!
2. The US is not compelled to rise a fourth competitor power in the Eurasian continent as much as it is to keep competitor powers divided, which is not that difficult since their default divisions are even bigger than the ones dividing European countries. So Europeans are coerced into becoming SERVILE AS THEY WERE NEVER BEFORE to the US by Trump administration [2]: US security as a service. Europe MUST NOT build its own military-industrial complex and military for its security and perpetually pay to sustain and grow American defence industry and business all around the world (American imperialism 2.0), and no more whining. Otherwise they have to remain divided economically, politically and military, and fearful of Russia. On the other side, Russia is now weaker than it was at the beginning of the war and depleted enough of its military/naval/political assets, and Putin (being so nostalgic of the Soviet era) is so wet for Trump that it could turn into US bitch anytime now and sell it as "strategic victory" (well, to be fair, at this point this was the best they could hope for). I guess in this chess board also Israel plays a strategic role to keep Europe separated from the only option it has left for a strategic alliance to strategically emancipate itself from the US: China. [3]
[2] if they were so servile, why is Trump punishing and mistreating them so publicly in the name of Make America Great Again? The same holds for Zelensky
[3] Who remembers those idiots, pardon I meant the maximum experts on economy, military, propaganda, morality, geopolitical realism, in this thread who were spinning the propaganda that Russia and Europe will ally and grow prosperous in peace ever after because the US is doomed to fight China (and Isreal is doomed to disappear from earth thanks to the Palestinian cause) raise your hands!