Why US is becoming a threat to Europe and what Ukraine has to do with it
On 20 November, the Ukraine Facility Platform (UAFP) held a meeting in Lviv with leading European experts to discuss a joint strategy for the defence and security of Ukraine and Europe.
Participants in the discussion created a Strategic Advisory Group Ukraine-EU, which will promote the formation of a new European security architecture aligned with NATO’s objectives, based on Ukraine’s capabilities and focused on practical solutions.
Read more about the new foundation of Europe’s security and the concept of joint action with Ukraine in the column by Kees Klompenhouwer of the Coordination Council of the Ukraine Facility Platform and Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine (2013–2017): A new action plan for Europe: what the EU must consider to strengthen support for Ukraine.
The author notes that the post-war liberal international order is eroding and reverting to the predatory system of past centuries, foretelling the multiplication of conflicts.
"At the same time, the balance of power has shifted to the detriment of Europe. Its economic base has weakened. The population is aging. The alliance with the United States is under pressure, and Europe itself is unable to guarantee peace even in partnership with the United States," Klompenhouwer emphasises.
According to him, Europe must urgently rethink its strategic position so as not to be swallowed by geopolitical realities.
The former Dutch ambassador to Ukraine stresses that unity in diplomatic efforts between Europe and Ukraine will remain critically important to restrain US President Donald Trump's administration’s inclination to make premature concessions to Russia and nurture unrealistic expectations regarding Moscow’s behavior.
"Thus, the relationship between Ukraine and Europe has already taken on an existential nature," the author writes.
In his view, it is time to make these relations sustainable to fill the gaps and seize the opportunities.
The member of the Coordination Council of the Ukraine Facility Platform says Europe’s tactical goal is the ability to sustain a high-intensity war over a long period.
The author highlights the problem of fragmented efforts by individual countries, which leads to inefficiency. To resolve this, Europe must strengthen political unity and create institutional mechanisms to implement it.
"The unfavourable context requires coordinated collective action. A network of defence agreements may provide a foundation for this. Ukraine must become part of this process," Klompenhouwer writes.
According to him, the foundation of the new European security architecture should be a set of agreements among the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland – and the deployment of British and French nuclear forces in Europe should be facilitated.
In addition, the author stresses the need for a fundamental reform of NATO’s military command structure to reflect the growing European responsibility.
The former Dutch ambassador writes that Europe must work with Ukraine on a joint strategy that encompasses diplomatic, military, industrial and technological objectives.
"Ukraine can help Europe accelerate its innovation cycle and establish mass production of weapons at lower cost," Klompenhouwer emphasises.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a strategy to turn Ukraine into a "steel porcupine": further developing a powerful military force in Ukraine capable of making Russian aggression so costly that it drives Moscow into a strategic dead end.
To move closer to this goal, Ukraine urgently needs bilateral support in the production and deployment of powerful deep-strike capabilities in sufficient quantities to achieve a military-strategic effect against Russia.
"The defence of the long land front must continue: artillery, shells, mines, drones and counter-drone technologies (kinetic, electronic warfare, laser)," the author underscores.