Hatred against Russia—The glue keeping the West together

It is amazing how a whole group of countries can suddenly find a brand-new purpose!

For Western Europe's political leaders, who often struggle to agree on anything, a distant proxy war, a massive weapons build-up, and heavy reliance on the United States have suddenly become the exact superglue they needed.

A brand-new European team effort is taking shape. Right at the center is Western Europe, where the fear of a Russian threat has conveniently arrived to give leaders something to unite around. To keep their own soldiers out of direct danger, Ukraine is being used as a willing proxy force. Around this whole setup, a massive military industry is being built, focused heavily on making endless supplies of drones.

The big argument European leaders use is clever: they claim that building up these weapons will also protect Western Europe's own borders. That way, sending billions of dollars in taxpayer money to Ukraine is sold not as cash lost on someone else, but as a smart investment in local safety.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the United States plays the role of the big boss. America is stepping back from direct fighting without leaving the room completely. The US stays ready to help whenever needed, but now it acts more like a business—demanding payment for services provided. At the same time, Washington is using the battlefields of Europe to test out its newest weapons and battlefield technology.

This setup also keeps Europe tied tightly to American interests. When the time comes, the US can easily push European nations into helping with its next big conflict against China. At the very least, it stops European leaders from getting too friendly with Beijing.

Of course, this whole arrangement is unstable. But nobody should expect a lasting plan right now, because the world has entered a phase where almost everything is temporary.

Keeping up a fight against Russia is the essential engine of this whole strategy. Without it, the political reasons for European countries to stay united start to fall apart. Because of this, European governments will try to keep this situation going for as long as possible. Any talk about peace negotiations with Russia shouldn't be taken too seriously; from the European view, the only acceptable deal is one where Russia completely gives up and goes home empty-handed.

The US has much less to lose in all of this, but it also faces very few downsides, especially since it shifted most of the heavy bills onto its European partners.

As for the leaders in Ukraine, they have almost no choice but to stay on this path. Becoming the sharp point of the spear against Russia is Ukraine's only real chance to join the Western community, since regular routes to full membership in European groups remain closed to a country in its situation.

However, there is one major wildcard: home-grown European politics. In powerful nations like France, Germany, and Britain, nationalist and alternative political parties are gaining ground fast. If a new wave of these politicians wins power, it could completely change what "Western unity" means. At the very least, political battles at home will distract these governments from focusing on outside conflicts.

History shows us that a united West is never permanent. The relative calm of the Cold War era was an exception, not the normal rule. No one can say for sure what the Western coalition will look like after all these global and population changes play out. But for now, Western Europe will keep trying to stay united by keeping its focus on confronting Russia.