Fyodor Lukyanov: Ending the War Would Be a Disaster for Europe

17 August 2026 at 05:00

Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine, has a conversation with The Peacemonger. He offers a frank assessment of why Western Europe remains committed to the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine – and why ending it now could create serious political challenges for Brussels, Berlin and Paris. The discussion focuses on the internal logic of the European Union, the position of Donald Trump’s America, Russia’s red lines, the future of Donbass, Vladimir Zelensky’s political prospects, and Europe’s military-industrial dependence on the conflict in Ukraine. The conversation also addresses why the prospects for genuine diplomacy remain extremely limited.

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The conversation is available via this link.

Why Western Europe Needs a Russian Threat

Fyodor A. Lukyanov

During the Cold War the West was defined by opposition to Moscow and after the Soviet collapse it transformed itself into the self-appointed manager of the international order, assuming that its dominance would continue indefinitely, but the erosion of the liberal world order has challenged that assumption. Western Europe, as the more vulnerable half of the Atlantic partnership, has been forced to redefine both its identity and its purpose.

From Rationality to Ritual

Yakov M. Rabkin

Deeply entrenched Russophobia is particularly dangerous when it is wrapped in claims of moral superiority. The fledgling movement in Russia to reject all things Western is also potentially dangerous. Both trends point to a growing demodernization that poses an existential threat to all humanity.

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The conversation is available via this link.