Ten Points about Sustainable Peace on the European Continent

Based on speaking points at the panel discussion “Imagining the Future in a Changing World” of the Anti-War Committee of Russia conference, 3rd November, 2025

1. Today the major, most important long-term question to all Europeans – is sustainable peace possible on the European Continent? Or do we agree to forever live under the permanent threat of an aggressive, post-imperialist or neo-imperialist Russia? To the permanent threat of possibility of war?  Or can we maybe have a Strategy to change this perspective of permanent threats towards the perspective of sustainable peace? Why do we, as Europeans, still not have such a strategy?
2. The lessons from history: Europe faced similar challenges and questions after the Second World War – will Europe be able to get rid of the permanent perspective of wars between France and Germany? As answer to this question Europeans came  with the strategy for peace – the  European Coal and Steel Community, which now is called the European Union. So, history teaches us that Europeans sometimes can have a historically significant strategy how to build sustainable peace among Europeans.
3. Obviously, there are significant differences in the situation of post-war Europe, Germany and France and today’s Europe or Russia. But the similarity is also clear – we, Europeans, need to answer the same question: do we want sustainable peace on the European continent? If we do, let’s have a strategy: an EU strategy towards Russia or European Strategy for Sustainable Peace on European Continent. It’s the same – Sustainable Peace on the European Continent depends on the Future of Russia. And we Europeans can shape that future or we can create the conditions for Russian citizens to change that future.
4. What strategically is clear now – as long as Putin will stay in power, Russia always remain a post-imperialist aggressive power. That is why we, in Europe,  need to have a clear strategic understanding: with Putin in power,  Europe will never have the conditions for a sustainable peace. Maybe Putin in the future will have no resources to wage full scale war against EU or NATO Member States, but the threat of such an aggression or large scale provocations always will remain as real possibilities, as long as Putin stays in power.
5. That is why the perspective of sustainable peace in Europe can be created only by taking into account the perspective of a Russia without Putin. A Russia without Putin that will be different from Russia with Putin, and if that difference will mean that Russia without Putin will transform itself back to normality: no more aggressive neo-imperialist policies by Russia towards its neighbors and towards the broader world.
6. That should be the strategic goal of our EU strategy towards Russia – to help the citizens of Russia to transform Russia back to normality after Putin. Such a transformation of Russia very heavily depends on two specific policies of the EU: a) EU communication policy towards Russian citizens; b) EU geopolitical policy towards Ukraine, military assistance and Ukrainian integration with the EU. Implementation of both of those policies depend only on the EU’s geopolitical wisdom and strategic political will to seek long term sustainable peace on European continent.
7. EU communication strategy towards Russian citizens should have several key messages: first, that Russia’s war against Ukraine is also a tragedy for Russia itself; that the long term trajectory of Russia’s development is totally negative and that Putin created this tragedy for Russia and Putin himself is a tragedy for Russia;
8. From another side such a communication strategy needs to explain to Russian citizens that Putin is exploiting their natural emotions of nostalgia for the past, but the past will never  come back and orientation towards the past will only increase Russia’s  global isolation; Russia will prosper only if it will start looking towards the future, to the “beautiful Russia of the future” (A.Navalnyj). And such a “beautiful Russia of the future” can be built only if Russia after Putin will transform itself into normality. And in that case the European Union will be ready to reestablish normal relations with Russia. The European Union needs to now have a clear strategy for future relations with Russia, if Russia will become normal. And the EU needs to communicate such a possible future of normal relations with a normal post-Putin Russia already now. Communication of such a strategy should be the most important part of our European strategy towards Russia.
9. EU geopolitical policy towards Ukraine should also have a very clear basic point: Ukraine’s success, created with strategic assistance from the EU, will have major power of inspiration to the Russian and Belorussian people and the elites of those countries. Inspiration for transformation of their countries. General success of Ukraine first of all demands its military success, and after that,  success of integration of Ukraine into the European Union. Success of integration will create the economical and social success of Ukraine, like it created the success of Central Europe. Such a geopolitical strategy towards the success of Ukraine is the basic precondition to achieve sustainable peace on the European continent. That is why Ukraine’s integration should be considered as a vital strategic interest of the European Union, not only as an interest and wish of Ukrainian people. If it is a vital interest of the European Union, than we need to answer very simple question: are we ready to invest billions and trillions into the perspective of sustainable peace in Europe? To invest into the military and economical success of Ukraine? We have an opportunity to create conditions for sustainable peace. If we shall miss this opportunity, in the future we shall pay much more.
10. What do we need to achieve, and first of all in the West:

• The West should stop being afraid of possible changes in the Kremlin and the possibility of Russia’s transformation. Without such a transformation there will be no sustainable peace. The West should not be afraid of Ukraine’s victory and Ukraine’s success, that it will trigger collapse of Putin regime or that Putin will escalate in order not to allow success of Ukraine. Sustainable peace will not be created without the success of Ukraine and without transformation of Russia. Let’s not be afraid of such a perspective.
• If Europe wants to be geopolitically independent, it needs to have its own strategy on Russia. Then our strategy towards Ukraine will become more effective and long standing.
• And Europe needs to engage with Russians, who want such a transformation. Like the “Anti-War Committee”. And the “Anti-War Committee” needs to convince EU institutions and EU capitals that an EU strategy towards Russia or EU strategy on Sustainable Peace on the European Continent is a must. And that the Anti-War Committee will help Europe to develop such a strategy.