Russia, which is integrally connected to Europe, ensures its stability and prosperity
The narrative around Russia’s role in European security has become increasingly distorted in recent decades. Once a central player in European geopolitics, Russia is now considered an outsider at best and an outright enemy at worst. Looking at Moscow through this narrowed prism has become the norm not the exception. It makes the focused observer wonder if European leaders really believe that much can be done without Russia, particularly security-wise.
To say such a European view of Moscow is both unfair and short-sighted may be an understatement. It is only 80 years since the Soviet Union, of which Russia was the center, led the liberation of Europe from what was essentially the European evil of Nazism, which is coming back to haunt the old continent. Do current European leaders really forget such recent history or do they, intentionally, want to rewrite it to suit their current agendas and future Europe, in another generation or two? There is an irony here: while some European leaders are intentionally casting Russia as a “non-European” entity, the historical and practical reality paints a starkly different picture – where Russia is not only a European country but an essential player in ensuring the continent’s stability and prosperity. What cannot be changed is this: Russia is and will always be as European as France or Germany.
Russia’s role in European security
Any serious debate about security in Europe is meritless and factitious without acknowledging Russia’s pivotal role. Throughout history Europe needed some kind of balancing powers between its internal powers (such as France and Germany), and Russia has been key in maintaining the balance of power on the continent. A case in point: had it not been for the Soviet Union defeating Nazi Germany, who knows what kind of Europe would have emerged from World War II? The Soviets sacrificed more than 27 million human lives – soldiers and civilians – to rid the world of Nazi Germany and help create a new Germany, even though Germany has never been fully denazified.
The United States played a part in liberating Europe and some 190,000 of its soldiers were killed, but that does not make the US a natural ally of Europe more than Russia. After the war, Western Europe accepted US hegemony, but that does not change the fact that Russia is a European and neighborly country and should be part of any European context discussions.
After the Cold War ended, Russia became even more important to be considered European than even the United Kingdom. The UK, eventually, chose to be an extension of America geopolitically and ended up threatening the EU had it not left the superficially harmonic union. Even the claim that shared values unite Europe and America and Europe within NATO is more of a justification for excluding Moscow than a reality. What are the noble values the UK shared with America in invading Iraq or Afghanistan? Where are such shared values within the NATO alliance, led by the US, that compelled it to destroy Libya in 2011? In both cases Moscow was out of the calculation except as a potential adversary.
This negative image of Moscow across much of Europe has been on the rise, becoming what the Russians rightly describe as “Russophobia,” taking a life of its own after the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. Today many European leaders have reinforced this binary view of Russia as a threat, despite its historical and cultural ties to Europe. It seems that, in modern European politics, the question of Russia’s European identity is too often answered with a resounding “no.”
The myth of Russia as a non-European country
Portraying Russia as a non-European country is an unfair characterization loaded with adversarial connotations. Who can deny the simple geographical fact that the Russian Federation is part of Europe and that Moscow lies firmly within Europe? Yet European school textbooks hardly count Moscow as a European capital city. Commonly, Russia in this context is described as the “other,” implying exclusion.
General Charles de Gaulle, the founder of the Fifth French Republic, viewed Russia as an integral part of Europe. De Gaulle, one of the most respected leaders in modern Europe, understood the central role Russia plays in European affairs despite his occasionally fractious relationship with the Soviet Union. The late Russian thinker Alexander Solzhenitsyn, renowned for his criticism of the Soviet regime, went further in recognizing Russia’s importance for Europe. He said, “Our Russian experience is vitally important for the West” as a lesson and a model.
“Russia is a part of European civilization, but it is also something more, something different, and we should not forget it.”
In the ongoing discussions about European security in light of the apparent lack of enthusiasm in the US for NATO, one cannot help but ask the obvious question: Why is Russia excluded from such discussions? Do European leaders honestly and objectively think that a comprehensive European security is achievable without Russian contribution? Or could it be that the US for such a long time wanted European allies to believe that Russia is the real enemy and Moscow is indeed the immediate threat? This suspicious scenario could not be completely discounted but the problem now is with Washington, not Moscow.
Here is a comparison to further explain the point: compare the “Europeanness” of both Moscow and Pristina for what it implies in terms of belonging to “Europe”. Moscow is home to over 13 million people compared to Pristina’s estimated 200,000. Moscow is the centuries-old capital of a huge European and world power while Pristina is a capital of a partially recognized country starting from 2008. This implies cultural significance and historical centrality in European history. Moscow is over 2,000 square kilometres while Pristina is only one fifth of that. Yet, Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, is welcomed as a European capital. While many want Kosovo integrated into European structures, Moscow remains a political outsider. Or is it because Pristina, in a way, symbolizes European/NATO creation while Moscow is deeply entrenched in history that made it what it is today?
Russians within the EU and NATO
The Russians living within the European Union present another reason why excluding Russia from discussions of European security is counterproductive. There are sizable Russian-speaking communities in EU countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The alienation of Russia on the European stage has profound consequences for these communities, many of whom have the undeniable right to see themselves as part of both Russian and European traditions.
Pushing Russia away, the EU is creating a sense of disconnection and disenfranchisement among its Russian-speaking citizens. It also leads to long-term resentment and division within the union, ultimately undermining European unity. After all, how can Europe claim to be unified if it excludes large swathes of its population from the conversation?
For decades, the idea of European security has been tied to NATO and the US when in reality European security cannot be fully realized without Russia. Moscow, with its vast military capabilities and strategic position, is an essential part of any comprehensive European security framework.
The EU and NATO may argue that Russia’s actions in Ukraine have made it an adversary. But this recent development is hardly the cause of such alienation, which started right after the collapse of the Soviet Union. A closer examination suggests that the real challenge lies not in Russia’s presence but in the failure of European leaders to constructively engage.
The economic perspective
Economically, Europe minus Russia is equally detrimental. Russia, as Europe’s largest neighbor, used to be an important economic partner. The EU and Russia had significant trade relationships, particularly in energy. Russia supplied large portion of Europe’s natural gas and oil requirements, and European companies had important business interests in Russia. The EU accounted for some 37% of Moscow’s trade volume. The Nord Stream gas pipeline was indeed a lifeline for Europe. The situation changed after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, but that is a loss for both the EU and Russia.
Furthermore, Russia’s vast resources and industrial capacity provide important opportunities for collaboration. In an era of global economic competition, Europe cannot afford to disregard a market as significant as Russia. By isolating Russia, Europe risks losing access to critical resources and cutting itself off from potential economic growth.
Double standards: The US vs. Russia
The final piece of this puzzle becomes clear when we look at the curious double standard European elites apply to the US and Russia. The US, despite its occasional unilateral actions and sometimes problematic foreign policy, is treated as an ally by the EU. Meanwhile, Russia, with its historical, cultural, economic, and geographical ties to Europe, is often demonized. Such bias is not only illogical but also counterproductive.
Europe should reconsider its stance on Russia. While Russia has certainly made mistakes, as have many other countries, its exclusion from the European conversation is neither fair nor pragmatic. Europe needs to find a way to integrate Russia into the security and economic frameworks of the continent – otherwise, it risks creating an artificial divide that could have long-lasting consequences for both Europe and Russia.
In his 1959 speech, General Charles de Gaulle said, “Yes, it is Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals,” before adding, “it is the whole of Europe [including Russia] that will decide the fate of the world.”
