Michael von der Schulenburg: Will the war in Ukraine spell disaster for the European Union?

With the overcoming of the division of Europe, we will strive for a new quality in our security relations, fully respecting each other’s freedom of decision in this regard. Security is indivisible, and the security of each participating state is inextricably linked to that of all the others. Charter of Paris for a New Europe, November 21, 1990 The madness of war has returned to Europe. The misguided belief that only weapons can bring security is once again in vogue among European politicians, think tanks, and the media. Worse still, the Ukrainian counteroffensive that has just begun is now supposed to bring about a military decision that we were unable—or unwilling—to achieve politically. As if we had learned nothing from the past, human sacrifices are once again being made in Europe on the altar of supposed decisive battles. In doing so, we Europeans are leaving the future of Ukraine and Europe, and perhaps even the world, to the unpredictability, frenzy, and brutality of the battlefield. It remains completely unclear what “decision” could possibly be achieved with the intensification of the war that is now taking place. It will certainly not bring peace to Europe. … To prevent such a development, the European Union must, in its own best interests, abandon its self-righteous and morally arrogant war narrative, renounce the militarization of its foreign policy, and stop seeking security in NATO expansion. The European Union must return to a language of peace and develop a peace plan for Europe that includes Russia and Ukraine and builds on the Charter of Paris for a new Europe. In doing so, it would not only prevent further bloodshed in Europe, avert the danger of the internal disintegration of the European community, and avoid its economic decline, but also greatly improve its position in the world as a European peace project, as it was once conceived after the Second World War. This will require courage—peace requires a great deal of courage! Read the whole article HERE