Russian military expenditure (61.7 billion) is only 26,5% of Europe's (232,8 billion). So there is no reason for Europe not to follow an independent course, also in her defence. She simply must if she doesn't want to "exit history" as Jean-Pierre Raffarin clearly puts it.

To be honest as a European I have never seen Russia as our enemy and always as part of our shared history. Just impossible to imagine our culture otherwise and I believe the inverse is true also.

The best thing that can ever happen to Europe is if it could economically really join with Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, etc. Then she would be an independent geopolitical entity in her own right. Like I expect one day Latin America to do, India/South Asia already is becoming and China already is. The rest too might then wake up and start collaborating: the Gulf States, the regions of Africa, South East Asia. A truly multipolar world of equals., the best basis for real equality and global peace.

It's time the US learns to take a step back. Threatening China like the idiotic Blinken is currently doing is just absolutely disgusting to watch. Shameful. I feel deeply sorry for the American people, many deserve much better leadership than this.