Unfortunately, the major European players have generally proven to be utterly lacking in geopolitical foresight and incapable of acknowledging (much less taking credible action against) imminent or active threats until they smash down the front door, and as they did with Russia, China is no exception.
If Europe is to become the independent power bloc it loudly proclaims it will, it needs to understand that they need to expand their horizons beyond their immediate periphery. It cannot simply continue to pretend that the the affairs of the world outside of the EU borders are immaterial like they did in 2014.
Why? Switzerland has survived hundreds of years longer than the EU dealing with larger powers and bullys quite smoothly. "Expanding horizons" to survive is already a failed concept from colonial experience, and extremely unpredicable in modern times as Putin has already proved to everyone. If "smashing" takes 4 years just to struggle to take 4 poor provinces and inflicts massive damage to self, who wants to follow that path? Only morons who will get bogged down just as Putin has.
Of course it is.
Unfortunately, the major European players have generally proven to be utterly lacking in geopolitical foresight and incapable of acknowledging (much less taking credible action against) imminent or active threats until they smash down the front door, and as they did with Russia, China is no exception.
If Europe is to become the independent power bloc it loudly proclaims it will, it needs to understand that they need to expand their horizons beyond their immediate periphery. It cannot simply continue to pretend that the the affairs of the world outside of the EU borders are immaterial like they did in 2014.
Why? Switzerland has survived hundreds of years longer than the EU dealing with larger powers and bullys quite smoothly. "Expanding horizons" to survive is already a failed concept from colonial experience, and extremely unpredicable in modern times as Putin has already proved to everyone. If "smashing" takes 4 years just to struggle to take 4 poor provinces and inflicts massive damage to self, who wants to follow that path? Only morons who will get bogged down just as Putin has.
and he hasn't finished yet