London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Ukraine tensions have shown the worthlessness of the EU

Ukraine tensions have shown the worthlessness of the EU

There’s nothing like a crisis to expose the fact that the European Union is incapable of speaking with one voice. I suppose, in some ways, this is to be expected, as it is a bloc made up of 27 countries, all with their own different histories and national interests. This is why I have always maintained that, in the long run, it is doomed to fail.
The drama taking place on the Ukrainian border has brought these differences out into the open and revealed that the EU is a toothless tiger. It can issue statements and put on flashy shows of unity, but in reality – on this issue, at least – it has lost control of its member states.

For starters, the EU cannot even agree on who should be conducting the negotiations with Russia. Some seem perfectly happy to allow the United States to take the lead, while others are eager for the EU to muscle its way in and make a statement on the international stage.

Take, for example, the French president, Emmanuel Macron. He has called for the EU to start its own dialogue with Russia, thus cutting out the middle man. Indeed, during a speech delivered to MEPs in Strasbourg last week, Macron said, “Our continent’s security requires a strategic reinforcement of our Europe as a power of peace, a balancing power, particularly in its dialogue with Russia. I have been advocating this dialogue for several years… we need this dialogue.”

According to reports, this speech caused great concern in Washington, and calls were hastily made downplaying Macron’s statement. EU High Commissioner Josep Borrell even claimed that Macron “didn’t say that the Europeans were going to present their own proposals to the Russians.”

Borrell can spin what Macron said any way he wants, but the reality is that we all know the French have never been comfortable with Europe’s foreign policy being dictated or led by Washington. It has always been the case, and it always will be.

There is also a difference of opinion when it comes to sending weapons to Ukraine. Some EU member states are in favour, while others are opposed, and Brussels is proving itself powerless. This was emphasised following a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, when Anze Logar, the Slovenian representative, told reporters that the question of helping Ukraine is up to each individual member state and not subject to harmonisation at EU level.

With the EU sidelined, member states are plotting their own courses. Those who are in favour of sending weapons to Ukraine include the Dutch PM, Mark Rutte, who recently said that, “We have the political space… should those requests come, to help defensively with weapons.”

Similarly, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia have all pledged to send weapons. This has met with the approval of the US State Department, which has given the green light for US-made arms owned by the Baltic states to be shipped to Ukraine.

Other countries have followed suit, including Poland and Spain. However, the decision of the Spanish government to send fighter jets and a warship to the Ukraine has caused a rift at the heart of its government. For example, Equality Minister Irene Montero, who is opposed to Spanish military hardware being sent, said: “We are people of peace. We are committed to peace, to deescalating the conflict, to avoiding military exercises in the area, to dialogue and diplomacy.”

Likewise, the decision of the Czech government to send weapons has been criticised in its parliament, with Freedom and Direct Democracy leader Tomio Okamura claiming that the government “is trying to draw the Czech Republic into a war.”

On the other hand, the new German government has remained resolute in its decision not to allow German-made military hardware to be moved to Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz justified this stance by saying that “Germany has not supported the export of lethal weapons in recent years.”

Moreover, some EU states also maintain a friendly relationship with Russia. Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban, for example, is scheduled to visit Moscow for discussions with Vladamir Putin in early February. Orban shows no sign of cancelling his visit, even though he is under pressure to do so from opposition parties.

While all this is going on, the EU is standing idly by as a passive spectator. It cannot influence events, because it does not have the ability to do so. It is also proving that it has no influence over its own member states. Perhaps this is why the bloc was cut out of the recent negotiations between Russia and the US in Geneva?

The situation has also highlighted why the EU will never have a coherent foreign policy. There are simply too many vested interests, and when push comes to shove, national priorities always trump loyalty to the bloc. The famous proverb “Too many cooks spoil the broth” perfectly sums up the EU and its fractured response to the ongoing Ukrainian border issue.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×