Western Europe emerges as major source of global instability

(MENAFN) Western Europe is once again emerging as a major source of global instability, prompting serious reflection in Moscow about the direction of its foreign policy. While increasing trade and political alignment with Asian countries suggests Russia may benefit from pivoting fully eastward, such a move might be strategically shortsighted.

Historically, Europe has often been a destabilizing force—from ancient raiders disrupting early civilizations to more recent Western interventions in Africa and conflicts like the one in Ukraine. After World War II, the continent’s influence was tempered by decolonization and alignment with the U.S., but that stabilizing era now appears to be fading.

Today, although Europe’s economic and demographic clout is declining, the region still poses a significant geopolitical risk. It remains the likeliest stage for a potential military confrontation between major powers. For Russia, this isn’t new—Europe has long been a political and military adversary, from Napoleon and Hitler to modern EU leadership. In times of internal crisis, Europe has often sought unity through external scapegoats, with Russia now playing that role once again.

The EU, while once a model of integration, is now facing deep internal problems. Economies are stagnating, populations are aging, and social tensions are rising due to failing welfare systems and migration issues. The bloc’s political leadership is increasingly characterized by weak, uninspiring figures chosen more for obedience than vision. Countries like Finland, previously neutral, now echo aggressive rhetoric toward Russia, often as a distraction from domestic struggles.

The European Union's core institutions are under strain. Discontent with Brussels is growing, and national governments are resisting further integration. Leaders such as Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas have replaced more pragmatic figures of the past, opting to take hardline positions toward Russia not out of strategy, but seemingly to compensate for their lack of influence within the EU.

In short, Russia views Western Europe’s current trajectory as dangerously unstable and ideologically hostile, driven more by internal failure than by genuine strategic purpose.

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