Europe, Power & Security, Russia A prolonged war in Ukraine could transform Europe

We have seen a more rapid transformation of Europe’s geopolitical landscape during the past week than at any time since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European nations — and the United States — have restricted Russian access to the SWIFT banking system, Germany has substantially increased its defense budget, and the European Parliament has said it will weigh Ukraine’s petition to join the European Union. Even more dramatic, Germany announced that it would provide 1,000 antitank weapons to Ukraine, Sweden plans to send 5,000 antitank weapons, and Finland and others plan to send weapons as well.

The European Union itself, on top of issuing heavy sanctions, banned Russian flights from its airspace and opted to help finance Ukrainian defense efforts. None of this was even remotely possible a week ago.

Read more in The Washington Post >>