13. The Ukraine Crisis and the Future of the Euro-Atlantic Security System

In the wake of the Ukraine crisis, the whole security system in the Euro-Atlantic region has deteriorated due to the violation of its central principles and norms. Therefore the crisis represents the crucial test for the sustainability of all previous security arrangements in the Euro-Atlantic and challenges the viability of continental security in general. The crisis is complex and its settlement must include solutions at four levels—geopolitical, geoeconomic, bilateral and domestic. Attempts to tackle only one or two of these three levels will fail to find a sustainable solution to the crisis. But it must be settled as soon as possible, because it presents a ticking bomb for the whole continent (the tragic experience of the rivalry between France and Germany in the nineteenth to twentieth centuries is perhaps a good analogy). In order to achieve this, all the parties involved should demonstrate real political will in finding a solution and apply smart diplomacy instead of hard power and confrontation.