The post–World War II European security architecture has been dismantled by Russia, and a new one can only emerge either after the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war or the departure of Vladimir Putin from power.
Professor Klaus Larres of the University of North Carolina said this in a comment to Ukrinform on the sidelines of the Global Peace Summit held in Beijing.
Larres said that, in the long term, it would indeed be possible to create a new security architecture in Europe to replace the one destroyed by Russia.
At the same time, he stressed that Russia must be included in any future European security system, as it is a large European country and cannot simply be ignored.
The expert noted that Russia should eventually be reintegrated into the international community, adding that a country of such size could not be kept in isolation or excluded from global affairs.
He added that this has precedent in history — for example, Germany after Hitler in 1945 — so eventually, following a change of regime, Russia will have to be reintegrated into international processes.
Larres expressed skepticism about the possibility of forming a reliable European security system while Putin remained in power. He added that a new security architecture in Europe would likely appear either after the Russia-Ukraine war is over or once Putin leaves office.
He attributed this to a deep lack of trust among European leaders toward Putin, emphasizing that no one in Europe believes what Putin says, and no one trusts his promises or guarantees.
According to him, this distrust makes it impossible to establish a new European security framework as long as Putin remains in power.
At the same time, he noted there is no guarantee that Putin’s successor will be any better — and may in fact be worse than the current Kremlin leader.
He concluded that, in his view, a new European security architecture is not currently attainable. While NATO and the EU will continue to strengthen their roles in the region, any meaningful progress will require the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and consideration of Putin’s leadership in Russia.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine with Putin, but noted that no progress was achieved during the conversation.
Photo provided by forum organizers
Source: New security architecture in Europe may emerge after war or Putin's departure – US expert
