Europe’s weaknesses exposed

How unprepared was Europe for the crisis in Ukraine? And how dearly will the war cost the continent? Europe was literally caught sleeping at the wheel. It totally relied on Russia for its energy and on America for its defense.

For decades after the Second World War, the continent behaved like a spoiled child. Europeans felt they did not need to deal with security issues because Washington had taken care of this on their behalf. They did not invest enough on their strategic autonomy and they underestimated the looming threats to their security.

The Ukraine crisis has exposed Europe's weaknesses. Germany has decided to spend a significant part of its GDP on armaments, overcoming the ideological obsessions of the past. But because the next-generation fighter aircraft that France and Germany are building jointly will be ready in 2040, Berlin was forced to buy 35 F-35...