As the conflict in Ukraine drags on, European leaders continue to voice support for Kiev, but this is little more than political posturing, Dr. Oscar van Heerden, Senior research fellow at the center for African diplomacy and leadership, University of Johannesburg, told Sputnik Africa.
Without full backing from the United States, he argued, Europe lacks the means to sustain the war effort.
“The European Union knows that they are not going to be able to continue this war effort against Russia without the emphatic support of the United States,” he explained, adding that recent pledges of increased defense spending are largely symbolic.
Dr. van Heerden suggested that Western leaders are clinging to their support for Ukraine out of ideological loyalty rather than strategic feasibility.
“What we are seeing from the Europeans is political posturing. They are still wanting to somehow lend support to Zelensky because it is in keeping with the liberal project. But the truth of the matter, unfortunately, they are not going to be able to sustain the war,” he asserts.
Meanwhile, he noted, Ukraine is facing mounting battlefield losses, ammunition shortages, and mass surrenders, painting a dire picture of the country's future.
Ultimately, he believes Ukraine's fate is sealed, with Russia dictating the terms of the conflict’s conclusion.
“Unfortunately, this is the end game. The war is going to end, and it's not going to be on the Kiev demands. It's not going to be on the European demands. It is going to be on the demands of the winner, and that is Russia,” he stated.
With the Trump administration shows a diplomatic shift toward Moscow, Dr. van Heerden suggested that Europe may soon have to face the reality of a post-war settlement shaped by Russian, rather than Western, terms.