Politico: Europe Must "coddle" Russia
- 23.05.2025, 10:12
Through actions at sea, on the information front, and on the global stage.
The European Union must move from passive defense to active counteraction against Russia to reduce its ability to harm European interests. This is what the director of the EU Institute for Security Studies, Steven Everts, writes for Politico.
"Europe is not powerless - it's just not sufficiently engaged," Everts notes.
In his view, it's time to move to a strategy of "exhausting" Russia - that is, systematically weakening its ability to influence security and stability in Europe.
Moscow harms European interests on a daily basis - not only in the context of the war against Ukraine, but also through destabilizing other regions, interfering in the internal affairs of European democracies, supporting authoritarian regimes and deploying hybrid warfare. At the same time, despite economic and demographic weakening, Russia retains the ability to act flexibly and aggressively.
One of the priority steps for the EU, according to Everts, should be the fight against the "shadow fleet" - tankers that transport Russian oil through European waters, circumventing sanctions. Experts suggest confiscating such vessels or forcing them to leave EU waters if they are uninsured or pose an environmental threat.
"This is not about escalation, but about enforcement. This is legal, effective and will hit Russia's hybrid tactics," the author notes.
Separate attention is paid to the need for effective deterrence of Russia, in particular - strengthening military aid to Ukraine without prior announcement of decisions that the Kremlin can use in its propaganda.
An equally important area is countering Moscow's narratives. Russian information warfare, though cheap, remains effective, undermining trust and provoking discord. At the same time, the EU's response is fragmented and cautious. The report suggests scaling up initiatives like EUvsDisinfo, supporting independent media in vulnerable regions and speaking in clear language about universal values - sovereignty, democracy, self-determination.
Regional actions are also key. In the Balkans - support for reformers, in the Southern Mediterranean - cooperation with Turkey. In Africa, real investment in infrastructure and education, and in the Indo-Pacific, working on common challenges: cybersecurity, AI, clean technology.
"The Kremlin is already playing the game. It's time for the EU to play better," Everts summarizes.
Europe doesn't need to wait for consensus or global summits to act. It has all the resources - economic, diplomatic, security. All that remains is to use them decisively to deprive the Kremlin of the influence to which it has become so accustomed.