The Shadows of Helsinki

The fiftieth anniversary of the Peak of Europe’s Détente is no reason to celebrate but maybe to learn a thing or two

Détente is in the air, again. With US president Donald Trump zigzagging once more - and probably not for the last time - there seems to be a chance that Washington and Moscow could perhaps find a way to shut down the Ukraine War, which, in reality is a Western proxy war against Russia via Ukraine.

Every intellectually and morally sane person would celebrate such an outcome, since it would save lives and make Europe and the world as whole safer. Yet there are no guarantees: Much may still go wrong. The US may revert to its childish default mode of expecting something-for-nothing from Russia (a bizarre strategy that actually works with its European vassals but not with a sovereign, well-run power such as Russia, obviously not). Those European vassals and the delusional, corrupt, and desperate Zelensky regime in Ukraine are likely to do their worst to sabotage peace. In a week or so we will, presumably know more.