Building a Joint Defense Force to Counter Russian Expansion

Russia’s war against Ukraine is no longer a bilateral territorial dispute. Moscow’s long-term vision, as outlined in documents discussed at the Russian General Staff Academy in 2026, explicitly calls for the collapse of the European Union and the creation of a Moscow-led Eurasian macro-region. By passing legislation that permits troop deployments abroad to 'protect citizens,' the Kremlin has signaled that its revisionist project extends far beyond Ukraine’s borders. The traditional diplomatic playbook is failing because it treats an expansionist power as a rational partner capable of compromise.

Europe possesses the industrial, financial, and technological capacity that Ukraine currently lacks, while Ukraine offers the world’s most significant laboratory for modern warfare. By integrating Ukraine’s battlefield experience and unmanned systems innovation with Europe’s production base, the continent can establish a compact, agile defense platform. This structure would bypass the gridlock of existing institutions, operating without veto power and under a unified command. Establishing this architecture is not merely a matter of supporting a neighbor; it is a prerequisite for European survival. If the West fails to formalize this partnership, it risks facing the very potential it currently neglects—if Ukraine falls, its military-industrial base and human resources could be forcibly turned against the rest of Europe. The most urgent negotiations for the EU are not with Moscow, but with Kyiv, to formalize a joint deterrent that forces the Kremlin to respect a unified strategic power.