Europe and Ukraine already have the force to stop Russia. What’s missing is the alliance.

Europe and Ukraine have the military capacity to thwart Russia, but the missing component is a united alliance. Since the war began in 2014, Europe has been operating under a series of assumptions, such as settled borders, economic interdependence restraining major-power conflict, international law regulating state behavior, diminishing relevance of military force, and the United States guaranteeing European security.

However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shattered these norms, as Moscow seeks to alter borders through force and reshape the European security order. NATO now recognizes Russia as the greatest and most direct threat to Allied security, and includes sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation, economic coercion, and other hybrid actions in this threat.

The foreign policy of the Trump administration has exacerbated these issues, with threats to annex Canada, occupy Greenland through force, and disregard Spain's sovereignty. It disrespects European military contributions, demanding support for operations of its choosing, with legal justification optional. Furthermore, NATO negotiates European security without Europe's consent, calling countries "decaying" and their leaders "weak," while launching a trade war against former allies and engaging in business with its former strategic opponent.

Discussing solutions without first agreeing on the problem is ineffective. Yet, this is precisely what Europe has done since the war's inception in 2014.

Danish soldiers recently arrived in Greenland following US President Trump's annexation threats. Eight realities, when analyzing the security environment before recommending solutions, have been identified. First, it was never a Russia/Ukraine war; Russia has presented four unpleasant scenarios, all designed to appear as an easy solution.

Second, a war is ongoing in Europe, with Russia conducting an escalating hybrid war against NATO's European members since 2014. Third, the ripple effects of this war are changing the political landscape in the West, causing cost-of-living increases, food and energy security issues, and rising unrest, extremism, and potential war.

Finally, a united alliance among Europe and Ukraine is necessary to confront Russia, as the West has been defined as Russia's enemy, and a war is expected to turn open by 2029.