The annual security conference ended in Munich.
And it would seem that Ukraine and the United States became its main victors, and Russia, whose real representatives were not invited to the event, became the main loser.
Indeed, Zelensky's hands were not kissed and children were not held out for baptism just because he did not come to the event.
But he spoke out of the bunker via video link, where he talked about the battle of the Ukrainian David with the Russian Goliath, and also called on the whole of Europe to become a sort of “collective David”.
Europe applauded him and said in words that she had already become this David.
“We are the army of Ukraine, because this war is a challenge to our security, an existential challenge.
Ukraine gets enough weapons, but little ammunition.
This is the problem, it is important that Zelensky be applauded less, but ammunition be supplied,” said Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy.
And almost all Western leaders said that they would supply - not only ammunition, but also military equipment.
As for the Americans, they could open champagne, because Washington managed to impose a confrontational agenda on the European Union.
Virtually no one talks about any kind of cooperation with Russia anymore, only about the need to defeat her.
Either victory in the hard version (conditionally Polish, which involves treating Russia like Germany after the First World War), or in the soft (conditionally French - Emmanuel Macron said that he wants Russia's defeat, but not its defeat).
The defeat, after which it will be possible to cooperate with Russia, well, that is, approximately in the same way as they cooperated with the Russian Federation after its defeat in 1991.
As with a second-class country, "give-bring resources and return to the stable."
None of the countries of the collective West, except perhaps Hungary, which is not asked in Brussels,
does not even remind of the long-term projects of the Russian leaders to create a system of collective security in Europe, of an equal partnership (including respect for spheres of influence).
The fact that, perhaps, it is time to return to these proposals - as part of a package deal after the end of the Ukrainian conflict.
Actually, there is no one to remind.
European leaders cannot do this, if only because Europe (and this is another achievement of the Americans over the past year) has completely lost its political subjectivity.
If earlier Polish Russophobia was balanced by Franco-German pragmatism, now Germany as the leader and engine of the European Union is no more.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is not even able to protect his reputation from Ukrainian insults, not to mention the fate of Nord Stream or other national interests of Germany.
And Emmanuel Macron, the one who leaked his secret talks with Vladimir Putin to the press, resembles one of the characters in The Prisoner of the Caucasus.
That is, in other words, rushing from side to side, squeezed on the sides by the United States and Poland (the new leader of the EU).
In turn, Russia could not voice its proposals at the conference - simply because domestic politicians and deputies were not invited there.
Moscow was "represented" by foreign agents such as Garry Kasparov* and Mikhail Khodorkovsky** (who could well become official delegates, for example, from Warsaw, whose views on the future of Russia are completely in tune with their ideas).
In part, such a move can be considered a signal that Europe is accepting another Polish-American narrative: that the Russian leader is not shaking hands and illegitimate.
This means that Europe is cutting off all channels for separate communication with Russia - at least until the United States establishes this communication, and then puts the EU before the fact of agreements with Moscow.
However, if we ignore the words and judge by deeds, then the thesis about the victory of the United States and Ukraine in Munich no longer looks so unambiguous.
Yes, Russia was not there, however
The "shadow" of Vladimir Putin was very worried about European countries, because, as Politico rightly writes, "the end of the world that we know is coming."
At the same time, the contours of the new world will be determined not by the rhetoric at the Munich Conference, but by the behavior on the Ukrainian battlefield, which is also well known in European countries.
Therefore, they weigh their deeds.
So, contrary to American pressure and Ukrainian demands, Europe only promised heavy equipment in the quantity needed for Ukraine.
In fact, no one is ready to give it yet.
As for aircraft and long-range missiles (which Ukraine needs so much for offensive operations), they will not be given at all.
Simply because they are afraid.
They are afraid of war, they are afraid of wrong decisions.
They are afraid of the uncertainty of the world in which they will have to answer for their actions.
They are so afraid that out of fear they are ready to resist even America.
And this is, perhaps, the main positive outcome of the Munich Conference for Russia.
* An individual recognized as a foreign agent by decision of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated May 20, 2022.
** Mikhail Khodorkovsky was included in the register of individuals acting as a foreign agent by decision of the Russian Ministry of Justice dated May 20, 2022.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.