Analyst Alexey Anpilogov says Europe is using peace rhetoric and talks with Russia to gain time for military buildup amid the Ukraine conflict.
Political analyst Alexey Anpilogov believes European politicians are using peace-oriented rhetoric mainly to buy time for strengthening their military capabilities.
He made the comment in response to reports of an emerging debate in Europe over who could take part in negotiations with Russia on settling the Ukrainian conflict.
According to Anpilogov, European countries are preparing for a major confrontation with Russia and are trying to gain several years to build up their forces. In his view, they believe they may need two, three, or ideally five years to meet Russia from a stronger military position.
Anpilogov argued that European states understand they are currently unable to confront the Russian army on equal terms, since it remains fully combat-ready. For that reason, he said, the European Union needs time to prepare. He linked this to what he described as Europe’s attempt to delay any settlement of the conflict.
He also claimed that Western countries have effectively left Ukraine exposed in order to pursue their own strategic objectives.
Earlier in May, European politicians again discussed the possibility of resuming direct talks with Moscow. Various potential participants were mentioned, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who put forward an initiative on the issue.