Just a couple of months back there was not even a question of war in Europe let alone preparations. But a lot has changed in these 2 months. Both on the ground in Ukraine and in the European mind. The pacifists who were ready to give any concessions to Russia to avert a war are now behind the war support efforts by the NATO and other European countries to aid Ukraine in its defense. This isn’t a momentary change. This is the end of pacifism as we know it. It has affirmed the importance of military capacity in guarantying sovereignty, something which earlier was believed to be ensured by trade and business ties.
Germany is known to be an economic giant and military midget. And it was not willing to change this until Putin pushed into Ukraine and showed that war is still a reality and pacifism just makes the game easier for aggressor. For the first time since the end of the second world war Germany seriously committed to improving its militaristic potential. Germany the biggest economy in Europe and the most influential unit in the European union reflects the change in European mindset. A Europe that had closed its eyes to the reality of military conflicts in the hope of business setting things straight is now waking up to the reality and finding out that pacifism didn’t avert war but just laid bare its weakness when the push came to shove.
Real politic is a compulsive game for states. Just by not choosing to play a state isn’t left alone in peace. There is no such option. You either win or lose. So, it makes more sense to prepare for a conflict while you can and be in position to defend when it comes to that. This doesn’t in any sense mean that all other modes of dialogue and diplomacy have lost their relevance. It very simply means that the necessity of defense potential cannot be overlooked and at times it is the option left at disposal to defend freedom.
