According to Russian media on November 23, former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer Ritt stated in a program that if Zelenskyy collapses, several European leaders closely tied to him will also be unable to remain unscathed.

He named Karas, von der Leyen, Mertz, Starmer, Meloni, Macron, and others, believing they have put all their political capital on Ukraine. Therefore, as soon as Zelenskyy falls, they will also fall like dominoes, "burying" Zelenskyy.

This statement is somewhat exaggerated, but the logic is not wrong. In this long-term bet, Europe has exposed its fragile structure.

Especially after the change in the White House, Europe lost its former strategic reliance and became completely vulnerable.

Macron and Zelenskyy

Over the past three years, the reason why Europe dared to portray Ukraine as the "frontline of the free world" was not because they had strong confidence in Ukraine, but because the Biden administration provided an entire strategic framework that could be relied upon.

In this framework, the United States almost bore all the pressure: military aid was led by Washington, sanctions were dominated by the United States, public opinion narratives were set up by the United States, and NATO coordination was integrated by the United States.

Europe only needed to follow the United States, then package this line domestically as "defending values" or "a necessity for security."

From Macron to von der Leyen, from Starmer to Mertz, their political glow came from the label of firmly supporting Ukraine and opposing Russia.

The persuasiveness of this label was entirely based on one premise: the United States must not fail.

When the United States continued to provide funds and weapons, Europe could continue to push forward sanctions, aid, and diplomatic positions.

Essentially, Europe was betting on Biden, betting that the United States would keep supporting Ukraine.

Zelenskyy and von der Leyen

Biden's defeat caused this to collapse instantly, and the U.S. strategic direction underwent a fundamental change.

After Trump took office, the policy toward Ukraine was immediately changed: stop unlimited aid, directly promote talks with Russia, ask Europe to take more responsibility, and treat Ukraine as an issue for Europe rather than the United States.

When the United States withdrew, the strategic balance of Ukraine tilted immediately, and Europe was exposed to a vacuum.

All the political narratives Europe formed over the past few years lost their support on the very day after the United States withdrew.

Therefore, Biden's downfall was not just an internal U.S. matter; it directly cut off Europe's strategic umbilical cord, making the entire Ukraine policy become a casualty and a blind spot.

Europe seemed to think it could drag Ukraine along to change Trump's position, but it was ignored by the United States directly. Now, Europe is trying to reverse Trump's peace plan, still using the excuse of doing good for Ukraine, but essentially, it is because if Ukraine surrenders, they will also face a series of trials.

Zelenskyy and Biden

Now, there is a chain reaction of instability at the political level in Europe: failure will not only be attributed to Zelenskyy, but also to those leaders who portrayed Ukraine as the cornerstone of Europe's strategy. Domestic risks and public backlash may be amplified as Ukraine surrenders.

So, Zelenskyy's fate is no longer just an internal issue for Ukraine; it has become a time bomb in Europe's political structure.

Over the past few years, Europe bound its fate to Ukraine under the names of so-called values, security, and responsibility. However, Biden's downfall caused the first link in this chain to break instantly.

What remains is the tremors from Kyiv to Brussels.

European leaders enjoyed the political benefits of "defending democracy," but apparently never considered that if the United States withdrew, they would be the first to be held accountable.

And the facts have proven that they are not the ones who can choose dishes.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7576202732575425067/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Welcome to express your attitude in the 【up/down】 buttons below.