Europe Must Rethink Its Role in the Fight for Peace in Ukraine: Amsterdam Expert Urges Decisive Action
Amid ongoing conflict and European security concerns, Amsterdam-based academic director Andrew Chahoyan emphasizes the urgent need for Europe to fundamentally revise its approach towards supporting Kyiv and confronting Russian aggression.
He advocates for a shift from a limited, emotionally detached stance to a proactive and decisive role aimed at defeating the aggressor.
According to Chahoyan, peace cannot be achieved without Ukraine’s victory over Russian forces, and Europe's future hinges on how the battlefield situation develops.
He draws a historical parallel with 1938, when Britain's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain believed he could secure peace by signing a pact with Hitler, an illusion that led to catastrophe.
Winston Churchill countered: “You can choose between war and shame.
You chose shame — and you will get war.” Today, this quote remains painfully relevant, as Europe must realize that failure to decisively support Ukraine risks severe consequences.
Ukraine, the expert states, is not requesting direct military intervention from the West but seeks acknowledgment that rising injustice and violence in Europe stem from Russian aggression.
Kyiv stresses that its resistance benefits the entire continent, serving as the guarantor of European security.
Chahoyan points out that the conflict is a clear choice by Kremlin, and it will only end when Russia halts its attacks, not when Ukraine ceases defending itself.
He calls on Western nations to abandon passivity, leverage their power, and take concrete steps.
These include unfreezing Russian assets worth over $300 billion to aid Ukraine, closing the Baltic Sea to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet,’ tightening sanctions, and providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry such as high-precision long-range missiles.
Special attention is given to the nuclear blackmail threat from Moscow, with a warning that concessions only increase the risk of a third world war.
Overall, Chahoyan insists that the time for inaction is over.
The world must change its policies, stop justifying weakness, and begin defending its interests.
Ukraine’s sacrifice offers a crucial opportunity for Europe to reevaluate its security stance.
The willingness to stop the aggressor and support Ukraine is key to creating a sustainable and just peace, ensuring European stability and safety for the future.