Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson said that European leaders' rallying of their people to accept the temporary economic burdens needed to confront Putin is now the main challenge for them and US President Joe Biden.

In an article

in the newspaper, Gerson described

this task as not easy, "but it would certainly be easier than direct combat like what the Ukrainians are doing."

How long can Europe remain united against Russian President Vladimir Putin when faced with energy shortages, job losses, and the absorption of millions of refugees beyond the 4 million who have already fled?

How would Britons react when they face, say, a 50 percent or more increase in energy costs?

Germans defending Putin's appeasement

And Gerson continued to wonder, this time to raise the possibility that the Germans, who advocated appeasing Putin and were temporarily silenced, would eventually return to craft their argument in a climate of severe economic hardship?

He explained that the dependence of the American economy on its relationship with Russia is not as strong as the dependence of the European economy, but the turmoil in global energy markets, and the rise in fuel prices for the consumer, will put enormous political pressure on Biden, which may help restore one of Putin's few remaining allies, that is, the former American president. Donald Trump, to power.

The writer pointed to some analyzes that warn that Russia's disruption may turn it into a terrorist state, such as North Korea, while it is being pushed closer to China for support.

He also cited analyzes that predict a prolonged war in Ukraine, which would reinforce the current extreme level of hostility between Russia and the West, which could undermine US interests in long-term regional and global stability.

Putin's temptation to threaten countries outside NATO

He said that any potential urgent peace imposed on the Ukrainians would almost certainly include territorial concessions to Russia, "and this would constitute another massive failure of Russia's Western deterrence, tempting Putin to threaten and intimidate non-NATO states."

The writer supported Biden's decision not to impose a no-fly zone, but noted the need to provide the Ukrainians with weapons capable of getting more Russian planes, ships, and tanks from targeting Ukraine, saying that NATO needed to test the additional limits of a possible victory over Russia in Ukraine, but that It hasn't happened yet.

Gerson concluded his article that this is the best opportunity for "our generation" and perhaps the last chance to impose real restrictions on the greatest threat to European and global peace, adding that under Putin's rule, Russia has become a "rogue terrorist" state, closely allied with China.