(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Ralf Fücks, founder and managing partner of the Berlin-based think tank Zentrum Liberale Moderne, said in a comment to Ukrinform.

“Europeans cannot rely on the Americans to end this war on acceptable terms. They finally need to define their own goals - how exactly they want this war to end. And this clarity is still missing,” Fücks stated.

He believes that Europeans must clearly articulate what they, together with Ukraine, must achieve. Above all, it is the protection of Ukraine's sovereignty, both in domestic and foreign policy. This means, in particular, that NATO's door for Ukraine must remain open, and European integration cannot become a subject of negotiation, Fücks emphasized.

“No territorial conquests by Russia can be recognized. This should be the minimum European position,” the expert declared. In his view, a sustainable ceasefire will only be possible once Russia is forced into a defensive position.

Fücks believes this goal is achievable if Europe mobilizes its industrial and military potential.“Together with Ukraine, Europe has far greater resources than Russia, even taking into account its allies,” he noted. The expert called the prevailing pessimism - that Ukraine supposedly cannot win the war - a mistake.

At the same time, Fücks acknowledged that in the short term, Europe cannot completely dispense with American support, particularly in the supply of weapons that European countries are not yet able to produce on their own.“But Europeans can no longer hide behind Trump. This is not only about Ukraine - it concerns the future of Europe itself. The time has come to act politically on our own,” he stressed.

Fücks also described Putin's regime as the greatest threat not only to peace in Europe but also to its democracy. He said that Russia will remain an adversary even after the war ends, since one of its strategic goals is to push the United States out of Europe.“If the Transatlantic Alliance collapses, it will pave the way for Russian hegemony in Europe,” the analyst warned.

Read also: Ukraine needs peace plan – Merz

He further criticized Europe's previous strategy of economic engagement with Russia and the idea that security could be achieved only together with Russia, rather than against it. On the contrary, this policy of de-escalation led to the opposite outcome - escalation, Fücks concluded.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, negotiations between the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, took place in Washington the day before. Following the meeting, Zelensky held a phone conversation with European partners

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