Russian Analyst Says Europe Has Become Moscow’s Main Strategic Opponent

(MENAFN) A senior Russian international affairs expert has argued that Europe has emerged as Russia’s principal adversary for the first time since the end of World War II, according to remarks made in an interview.

Dmitri Trenin, president of the Russian International Affairs Council, said in comments to an online program that the current conflict involving Ukraine is part of a broader confrontation between Russia and Western countries, rather than a limited regional war.

He described the situation as a proxy confrontation in which Western governments are indirectly engaged in opposition to Moscow, while suggesting that European states have taken a more prominent role in recent developments.

Trenin claimed that political elites in Europe are emphasizing the Russian threat in ways that serve domestic political goals, including maintaining political stability and justifying increased defense spending. He also suggested that such narratives are being used to strengthen internal cohesion within the European Union during a period of economic and political pressure.

He further argued that tensions between Russia and Ukraine should be viewed in a broader historical and cultural context, describing Ukrainians as part of a wider shared historical community, while also asserting that external actors are influencing the direction of the conflict.

Trenin expressed the view that Russia will ultimately achieve its strategic objectives, though he acknowledged that the process could be prolonged. He defined those objectives in terms of eliminating what he described as extremist influences in Ukraine and countering political forces in Europe that he believes shape anti-Russian policy.

Regarding US involvement, he suggested that American leadership under Donald Trump has had limited ability to influence the direction of the conflict, arguing that European governments and Ukrainian authorities have continued policies that diverge from earlier diplomatic understandings.

His remarks reflect a broader Russian analytical perspective that frames the current geopolitical situation as a long-term confrontation between Russia and Western institutions, particularly in Europe.

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