RUSSIAN BEHAVIOUR

 I’ve often spoken about Russian behavior, but this time I want to share an example that makes it clearer than any explanation.

Russia has attacked the Kremenchuk refinery multiple times, shutting it down completely. The refinery was already out of service, but Moscow kept striking anyway—to destroy what remained, making any future reconstruction either impossible or extremely costly. In short, they wanted to finish it off. The first missile strikes came in April 2022, followed by another in May. Then, in June 2022, a Russian missile hit a busy shopping center in Kremenchuk, killing more than 20 civilians according to Ukrainian officials.

At the start of the war, Ukraine faced temporary fuel shortages. But they quickly solved the problem by diversifying supplies and importing from Europe. Today, Ukraine gets its fuel from European routes. Yet Russia continues to strike Kremenchuk—not out of military necessity, but out of a destructive obsession, to erase the city’s infrastructure and leave nothing behind.

And still, the world tries to ignore Putin’s routines. Peace needs the bigger picture. Peace efforts are admirable, but they cannot succeed with a regime whose doctrine has not changed in decades. At some point, free nations must stop hiding behind diplomatic courtesies and recognize reality.

Take sanctions. On paper, Europe banned Russian steel. In practice, Russia simply sells it at a discount—just as Iran sells oil cheaply to China. That discounted steel then flows into world markets, undercutting European producers. The result? Russian steel keeps moving, but it’s European industries that suffer.

Historian Niall Ferguson recently argued that Europe is in decline: it has lost gas because of the war in Ukraine, lost security after President Trump pulled back from commitments, and lost export markets as China advanced technologically and no longer needed European machinery. He makes some good points, but also exaggerates. Oil and gas still reach Europe, though through more complex routes. Which only proves my point: sanctions alone are not a reliable solution—especially after endless ceasefire talks and mediation efforts have failed.

But Europe is not powerless.

It still holds major technological advantages.

NATO commitments from the United States remain in place.

And solutions exist—quick ones, if leaders have the courage to act.

Energy policy could be transformed tomorrow—if Europe abandoned its rigid hostility to nuclear power.

Security could be strengthened swiftly—if European governments finally invested seriously in their militaries.

Exports could be revitalized—if Europe dismantled the bureaucracy that suffocates entrepreneurs and drives them away. Engineers can and will build new products—hardware or software—that compete globally, if only given space. The fact that almost no one in the world uses a German or French mobile app isn’t China’s fault—it’s Europe’s.

Meanwhile, the so-called “second strongest army in the world” operates with logistics and communications more suited to a developing country than a superpower. At the beginning of the war, Russian convoys stalled for lack of fuel and maintenance, and troops often relied on unsecured radios or even civilian cell phones—mistakes that allowed Ukrainian forces to intercept, locate, and destroy them. On the battlefield, Ukraine has repeatedly outpaced Russia in adaptation and technology.

So it’s time European leaders stop speaking of a “Worn out war” as if they are helpless observers. From the beginning, they failed to stand united against Russia’s invasion, and instead waited for the United States to take the decisive role. Meanwhile, Russia has no real fear of sanctions, and will continue down its path with confidence. And when Putin’s destructive ambition spreads, the fire will not remain in Ukraine—it will reach homes across Europe, and beyond.

for accuracy:

Kremenchuk refinery: clarified that it was non-operational when later strikes happened, but destroyed to prevent rebuilding.

Civilian mall strike: kept as reported by Ukrainian officials (20+ dead), which is accurate.

Fuel shortages: corrected to show Ukraine solved it quickly with European imports.

Sanctions & steel: kept your argument, but tightened to make it sound fact-based, not rhetorical.

Ferguson’s analysis: nuanced—he’s partly right, partly exaggerating.

Russian logistics: replaced “poor African country” with “developing country” + real examples (stalled convoys, unsecured radios, civilian phones).

Conclusion: kept strong but fact-grounded—Russia adapts, sanctions aren’t enough, Europe must act.

Europe is going per Russians plan towards the second middle east. Watch out guys.