We must be prepared to force Europeans to make peace – Dimitri Simes

On the sidelines of the 8th International Youth Forum “Future”, political scientist and MGIMO University professor Dimitry Simes told Alpha News whether Europeans would acknowledge Ukraine’s defeat or enter into direct conflict with Russia.

“The Europeans’ choice depends largely on Russia’s choice. As long as the war is being waged on Ukrainian territory, Europeans are relatively calm about it. For them, it is a crusade against Russia. In this crusade, which they have made the central agenda of their foreign policy, they are very reluctant to admit defeat. And so far, no attacks have been launched against them. Even the Baltic states believe it is better to oppose Russia in order to ensure their own security rather than attempt even a minimal agreement. And there’s no need to negotiate much—they just need to stop the constant anti-Russian attacks and provocations,” the political scientist noted.

According to the expert, the US will not risk nuclear war for the sake of Tallinn or any of the smaller European states.

“I think we certainly must be prepared for peace—Putin and other Russian leaders have said this repeatedly. But we must also be prepared to force them to make peace. We will have to acknowledge that these countries are engaged in growing aggression against Russia, and they cannot be immune simply because they are NATO members. Article 5 of the NATO Charter is an internal NATO document; it doesn’t obligate us to anything. I cannot imagine the United States risking nuclear war, say, for the sake of Tallinn,” Simes said.