Statement by EES President Dr Ingo Friedrich, March 12th, 2025

If Europe wants it...time is working against Putin.

At first glance, things aren't looking good for Europe and Ukraine right now, because "Uncle Sam," or good old America, no longer exists. America is no longer what it had always been: the guardian of Western values and the outpost of the Western world.

But as Goethe's Faust says (I am the spirit that always wills evil and yet creates good), this situation also presents a great new opportunity for us Europeans. Europe could and should assume America's classic role for the (temporary) period of the erratic Trump years, replacing America as much as possible. What's more: Europe can and must use these years to build its own sovereignty and capacities in all important areas, especially in defense and the economy. At the end of such a process, there would not only be a powerful economic giant called the European Union, but—in line with the defense investments planned today—also a new, strong military power called Europe. The changes brought about by Putin would then practically culminate in the creation of a new Western world power called Europe!

When the confusion and errors of a Trump are over and America returns to its old values, Putin will no longer have to deal with just one but two Western world powers, which he will no longer be able to shake as easily as he did with his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

After such a new global distribution of power and the end of Putin's dictatorship, there is even a chance that Russia itself will become a democratic and "normal" country after all—similar to Germany after the Hitler dictatorship. At least, that will no longer be completely out of the question.

In this respect, if Europe wants to and repositions itself, time is working against Putin.

Dr. Ingo Friedrich