Comment: Putin's favorite opponent is a divided Europe

As is well known, Vladimir Putin sees himself as an emperor. He has very little interest in what the real world around him looks like. But while he is lecturing on Russian history in the Kremlin in front of the US special envoys in the Ukraine talks, New York building contractor Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the EU heads of state and government are sitting in Dublin and confirming the picture that Putin likes to paint of them. They are divided and annoyed and scarred by all the crises that are tearing at the Union and its member states.

There is currently a debate about who could best represent Europe at any Ukraine peace talks. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, a Baltic, naturally promotes herself, while Germany and France, together with Great Britain, insist on sending their advisors to where the Ukrainians, Russians and Americans one day want to discuss the solution to the Russian war of aggression: after all, they are the large European NATO states. They would have to defend Europe in an emergency.

Support for Ukraine is fraying. The governments in Prague and Bratislava no longer want to pay for them, Sofia refused to sign a pro-Ukrainian declaration of support at the end of the summit of the European political community on Thursday.