More Weapons, More Military aid, and More battleships can never bring peace. Peace can only be achieved at the table, not on the battlefield. Bombs are raining on Ukraine, Russia intensified the attacks, and President Zelensky is not satisfied with American military aid and asked Europe to step up. President Vladimir Putin launched a furious attack on Ukraine on 24^th February 2022 to halt the advancement of NATO towards the Russian sphere of influence.

The Western liberal-democratic world stood against Russia, and currently, both the democratic and authoritarian worlds are sharply divided on the issue. The strategic war became the war of two ideologies: liberalism and authoritarianism. President Putin defeated his rivals in the 2024 elections and again succeeded in holding the premier office. Now, he is in a clearer and stronger position to continue his policies on Russian resurgence.

The Western world is vehemently supporting Ukraine, and their support is making the situation worse and more complex.

They consider Russia a tyrant state because of its hostile behaviour in the region and a spoiler of the existing (rules-based) world order. Both conflicting parties have lost billions of dollars, and the result is yet to be decided. The War is still going on. This war was inevitable for three major reasons. Firstly, the post-Cold War world order brutally failed to address the political and economic problems of the modern world.

Secondly, the World’s established democracies are facing severe ideological and identity crises; for instance, Turkiye under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, India is under a severe wave of illiberalism and populism, and Americans are struggling with the strong illiberal and popular voices, White Supremacists. Thirdly, America needs stronger enemies to maintain and prevail in the American-led liberal world order. As John Mearsheimer stated, “It was America who actually provoked Russia to invade Ukraine.”

Ukrainians are resilient in nature, and there is no doubt that they would survive this war, but at what cost? The cost would have deteriorated socio-economic and political conditions domestically, and their sovereignty would be compromised entirely. On the other hand, Moscow would never step back until it achieved what it was striving for non-NATO allies in Russia and abroad. Russia is a prisoner of its geography, and its scepticism towards Europe is indispensable because of its bitter historical experiences. In modern world history, Russia was invaded twice by European States; that’s why Russia’s fear and uncertainty towards Europe is not baseless.

The European States, for instance, Belgium, which recently agreed to give 30 F-16 Jets to Ukraine; France, which is sending military instructors; and Spain, which is oiling and airing the fire of this animosity by extending their unconditional support to Ukraine; basically, are playing with their peace, stability, and progress. European states have failed to survive ongoing food crises, which are aggravating daily; for instance, Ukraine’s grain production has decreased by 29% and is expected to decline this year. This war is disastrous not only for Russia and Ukraine but also for the whole of Europe. Apart from the European hemisphere, the war has its global repercussions.

Ukraine, before 2021, was considered the largest exporter of wheat to most of the African and Asian states but the war ruined this supply chain.

At this critical juncture, where President Zelensky is again on the road to grabbing more military assistance to protect its country from Russian wrath, there is a dire need for a grand peace dialogue. Brussels should deny military support to Ukraine and offer talks to get rid of the menace of war. Otherwise, Europe should be ready to pay the heavy price of this war. It is an onus on the European Community to discourage military support and to promote dialogue. If the war continues, Ukraine, with 44 million people, would become a long-term liability for Europe.

European states must understand Russia’s fears regarding its security. Why is the West eager to incorporate Ukraine into NATO? The answer to this question may be that it is a matter of free choice of a sovereign nation. But how can Russia afford its arch-ideological rivals, accompanying military machinery, at its gates?  Russia can afford liberal democracy in Ukraine but can never accept NATO in Ukraine or Ukraine in NATO. In the entire scenario, America is just taking advantage of the turmoil milieu of the region and suppressing Russian influence in Eastern Europe.

The European States, for instance, Germany, Britain, and the European Union can play a significant role in this regard to draw some diplomatic channels and avenues to make peace between the conflicting parties.

Suppose Europe thinks that Russia would withdraw without having clear assurance that Ukraine would not join NATO. In that case, it is an ill-visioned dream of a fool provided by the realities of global politics. After this election, President Vladimir Putin became more powerful and expanded the horizon of war to bring the European States to the table. Contemporarily, Ukraine, and Russia want to negotiate peace terms based on a quid-pro-quo approach. Still, Western states are not ready to maintain détente between them because they are extraordinarily aggressive toward Russia because of their ideological rivalry.

War should be stopped, and the international community should pave the way for talks. The whole world is suffering from food shortages due to this war, but some warmongers are advancing their adventures by supplying more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. The solution to this conflict only lies in the seriousness of European and American leadership. America is just extending and protecting its extra-regional vital interests in this war but at the expense of 44 million people of Ukraine, global food insecurity, and the peace of Europe. Therefore, the coming Swiss Peace Summit (fifth international meeting), planned to be held in June 2024, can become a ray of hope in this regard, and world leaders should take concrete measures to solve the issue.