Why a terrible war is better than EU membership for Ukraine
My discussion with Judge Andrew Napolitano
I appeared on the popular Judging Freedom podcast on Wednesday evening for a good catch up with the Judge.
The longer the war goes on, the clearer it becomes to me that letting Zelensky fight to the last Ukrainian is a device for the Europeans to kick the hot can of EU membership down the road.
Ukrainian membership of the EU could, at least conceptually, be good for Ukraine. But you can already see countries like Hungary and even, now Poland circling the wagons and pointing out that Ukraine’s accession may not be a good idea.
Why? The European project has always been built on the wealthier countries (excluding Belgium, oddly) subsidizing the less wealthy countries. Yet all of the EU countries are far wealthier than Ukraine, less populous, their infrastructure better, and their agricultural land much smaller.
They will all loss hundreds of millions and, in some cases, billions in yearly subsidies to Ukraine. Show me a time when any European country willingly gave up its free handouts to another country, and you might persuade me that everything will be fine.
What I can see is internal resistance to letting Ukraine in or, if it is allowed to join, strict fences put around the financial assistance it can receive. The alternative is financial meltdown.
Everyone knows this. Cynically, and selfishly, the cheaper bet is to let Ukraine fight on.
You’ll hear me saying this a lot going forward, but this appears to be the key stumbling block to ending the war. I can see no other logical explanation, but what do you think?
These days there is always a need to differentiate between the European Union (member states) and the European Commission (von der Leyen and other unelected rabble). I'm not sure when the Commission really started driving things in a way that was detrimental to the member states of the European Union but it seems to me that the Commission holds all the power and it is a mystery to me how. How is it that the member states don't tell them to f off?
It is actually very sinister.
Democracy in the European Union seems increasingly to be a charade with each new crisis.
Ukraine accession will be driven by the Commission against the wishes of the member states. The result will reveal everything in terms of whether the EU is democratic. The Commission is authoritarian (fascist even) and now seemingly most interested in landgrabbing. It would not surprise me one bit if Canada is on the list, except that the Americans will simply not allow it.
It seems to me there is a link between the apparent lack of logic in continuing an inevitable defeat, and Europe being run by we're not sure who wielding power in a way we're not sure how i.e. we only assume Europe should act in a logical way because we believe it to be democratic.
As for Britain, I think Peter Taylor (below/above) has it about right. Starmer has said we're in it for 100 years (i.e. as long as it takes). The obvious reason for that is that the UK (i.e. the blob that will be around long after Starmer is dead) believes it can take a share of spoils from the mythical balkanisation of Russia. It's a long-term bet with what (£4.5bn p.a.) is a 'small' outlay. I'm sure they could wheel someone out in front of the cameras to describe it as an "investment".
It's a strange idea, the notion that Russia is just sitting there waiting for Putin to die so they can open the borders to a sort of new Klondyke and hand over the entire nation's assets to the Brits. I seem to recall you said you had heard people in the British embassy saying this is the strategy!
Hi Ian,
I can accept to a degree the argument made, however I tend to hold to the view buttressed by unequivocal economic data metrics that the European elite have come to the realisation that their economic mismanagement having all but caught up with them is so precarious, the only salvation is as hast been planned, the receipt of their share of the USD$90 - 110 Trillions of natural resources that they had fixated upon being able to share as winners eventually to be plundered and pillaged from a balkanised Russia.
Further, these political clowns are marching to the orders of the monied interests who control and unto whom they are subjected… it is the requirements of in particular the Banking elites, themselves staring at huge losses on their balance sheets that has acted as the main catalyst for firstly kicking off then with an ever increasing sense of urgency and panic, doing all that is necessary to prolong and continue the conflict…
Such a mindset as it happens dovetails nicely with the dilemma the E.U politicians find themselves confronting, as they are faced with their lies and hubris, the tropes incessantly used with each passing day being shown to have been a fraud, built upon lies, they fully understand that their economic mismanagement electorates they serve will not be forgiving, such a realisation acting as fuel to the need to continue the conflict in the vain and misguided hope that “something” might just turn the tide in their favour, that they will deliver the victory long promised their respective populace… every statement it seems nothing but hope, vague promises, hopium on steroids, all being said out of the true fear of failure, each day that passes the rhetoric is ratcheted up… the angst levels and shrill of voice grows louder in these E.U puppets, the decisions taken becoming even nuttier that previous.
They now unequivocally realise that their economic mismanagement likelihood of Russia being defeated is as slim as it has ever been since the conflict began when you will recall they were deliriously happy, as if intoxicated, I have written previously of the mindset and attitudes that pervaded the Munich Security Conferences of both 2021 and 2022, contrast that feeling as manifested with 2024 and the intervening period through the present, you can almost smell, feel the fear, it so palpable underlined as it is by the most ridiculous public statements made, the gaffes and slips of the tongue when occasionally and it seems more frequently the truth and real intent is let slip contrasted to the first two years when hearing such a truth was like pulling teeth, virtually unheard of… however as the reality hits, mistakes are beginning to be made in comments made, truths as noted let slip…
Simply put I will not put these desperate out of touch, gullible, easily led and manipulated to do the unthinkable, nothing as we have seen is off limits, the recent attacks on nuclear interdiction assets ( Air and the failed attempt on the sub base) point to this reality, nothing for these people is off limits, the more desperate they become, the more dangerous it is going to be… thankfully we have in Putin and his team people who can sense this reality, will do what they need to in the first instance resist the bait, avoid over reaction, but they will themselves reach a break point, how so? We all have such a point… rue the day that day comes, money for donuts, they, the Western political lackeys will as well, I’m sure the rest of their days will be spent living in fear, worrying if that day will be their last, Russia has stated and rightly so, everyone engaged in terror strikes on Russians, planning to actual engagement, regardless of position or level, will be finished, they, their involvement is known… and that I believe is the final arbiter in this conflict… self preservation, can’t ever have a bigger incentive than that.. my thoughts anyways, could be wide off the mark, maybe not.. but enjoyed reading your opinion… just saying..
Kia Kaha (Stay strong) From New Zealand