Statement by EES President Dr Ingo Friedrich, August 19th, 2025

After the Alaska Summit: Europe Must Act

It is like the aftermath of a nightmare: waking up to find that a war criminal was received like a king, and the West's highest, most senior representative has simply dropped the demand for a ceasefire. Only now does the realization dawn that Putin does not want an end to the war. In fact, he needs it like he needs air to breathe, because without the war he would be merely a second-rate head of state, whose state has nothing to offer other than raw materials and soldiers. Putin therefore wants and must continue the war as long as possible to conceal the fact that he actually has nothing else to show.

This has two consequences for Europe: Putin must be stopped on the battlefield, because diplomacy cannot end the war for the reasons mentioned above. And Europe must be militarily strong enough, independent of the United States, to be able to confront Putin on its own. Regardless of this, every connection with the USA must, of course, be strengthened. Because, with or without Trump, the more common ground between Europe and the USA is maintained, the better for both.

Europe itself must urgently develop further, especially by abolishing the unanimity requirement in foreign and security policy. Joint defense and mass production in the arms industry are also of key importance.

Dr. Ingo Friedrich