Does Europe Want War?

By Ray DiLorenzo

An intriguing news story appeared in the Daily News (Hungary) on December 6, 2025: Prime Minister Viktor Orban: “This will be our last election before the war.” At a major rally in the city of Kecskemet on Saturday, 12/6, PM Viktor Orban declared that Hungary’s 2026 general election will be the country’s final vote before a looming war reaches Europe.

Let’s go back a bit and look at the background of events. After the Soviet breakup in the early 1990s, Russia expressed interest in joining NATO. In 1994, Russia joined the Partnership for Peace program, considered a step toward NATO membership. In 2000, Putin suggested NATO membership to NATO leaders. By the mid-2000s, because of geopolitical tensions and conflicts with Georgia, it was decided to reject Russia’s application.

That was unfortunate as Russia, unchained by the Soviet yoke, desired integration into the Western world.

Russia then sought assurances from NATO that they would not expand eastward to former Soviet states, giving Russia a buffer. NATO agreed. Since that time, to the dismay of Russia, NATO expanded to almost every country of the former Soviet bloc. Russia, understandably, now felt surrounded and existentially threatened.

The application for Ukraine to join NATO served as the final catalyst. This perception was intensified by the fact that eastern Ukraine has a significant minority population of ethnic Russians, and certain areas of Ukraine have compelling Neo-Nazi influences.

After three years of war, Ukraine is near collapse. The idea that the West would weaken Russia to the last Ukrainian is all but dead, no pun intended. What Europe has achieved is the near end of NATO and the European Union. President Trump’s decision to send Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to negotiate with Putin appears to be a desperate attempt to improve the course direction.

The Ukraine war is over. Europe may not agree, Ukraine may not agree, but there is increasingly little left to fight with. Desertion is rampant, and training is sparse, as is weaponry. Russian losses are high as well, but they can easily absorb them. It’s been reported that Ukraine has been pressured to conscript down to the teenage level.

To many, war is not just an effort to change a political direction; it is also big business. Many retired European and American politicians, generals, admirals, and former members of their collective deep states are all being well-paid to keep the conflict going. To them, war is good business.

Ukraine is simply running out of other people’s money and the willingness of the Ukrainian people to keep their elites’ laundromat open for business, especially since many military and civilian leaders have absconded with much of it. This includes many militarists from Europe and the United States who have prioritized their personal financial interests over the well-being of the people of Ukraine and, indeed, the people of their own respective countries.

Europe needs Russia to lose the war with Ukraine. It is not just a moral issue; to them, it is a financial and geographical imperative. Europe can see Ukraine from where they sit. Both world wars in the 20th century began in Eastern Europe.

Europe is convinced that Russia wants back its old Soviet empire. A Ukrainian loss would mean spending heavily on preparations for a potential war with Russia or conducting one, should it happen. They would first have to reinforce their eastern flank to protect the NATO states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Should war break out, Europe would also have to contend with millions of refugees from the Baltic states and Ukraine. Putin would most probably become more active in the Arctic region, affecting the United States, Canada, and Finland.

This preparation could cost between $1.4 and $1.8 trillion of European spending.

If Ukraine could achieve a partial victory or agree to the Trump peace plan, Ukraine would remain a country, albeit somewhat smaller. We don’t believe Putin will go home with anything less. He has invested too much.

We are not convinced that Russia wants war. We do see Putin as wanting a buffer between the West and Russia’s western border, as the US insisted on the Soviets removing their missiles from Cuba. Putin probably knows that even if the United States stays out of any potential conflict between Russia and Europe, we would possibly come in, especially if the war expands to the Arctic region.

We do not foresee any victory for Russia in that scenario. If there is one fundamental principle that Russia adheres to, it is the imperative of survival.

The industrialized world should focus on the emerging world power that is rapidly showcasing its potential: the digital age. Artificial Intelligence (AI), coupled with tech companies’ ability to reach billions of people through the internet with propaganda, misinformation, and the facilitation of cultural revolutions, especially on young people, is poised to become the most powerful institution ever conceived. It has the capability to shape our identities, conduct and strategize war, and, as we have witnessed, to influence our election outcomes—all driven by algorithms. These machines operate continuously, 24/7, without breaks, paychecks, or grousing. God forbid these machines become self-aware!

Does Europe want war? It has become clear that Britain, along with Germany and France, is provoking Russia into a conflict with Europe. Putin has shown no signs of going further west. Trump works out an acceptable peace deal and Zelensky is told not to take it. Their warnings of preparation for war are not helping. They even have select news correspondents touting the politically correct line.

Europe knows the people are not with them. Given their many poor governing decisions over the past few decades, this development is not unexpected. Their regressive policies on freedom of speech and immigration are not strengthening them. They are no different than any other ultra-liberal, globalist group with a lack of moral clarity and a deficiency in acceptance of reality.

Our founders were correct when they advised us to stay away from Europe’s squabbles. Only this time, their quarrels will dramatically affect the entire planet.

Europe’s decision-making process is so poor you wonder if there is a suicide pact in play, Hitler/Stalin style. If we can’t win, nobody will have a country to go home to.

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