Waffenruhe in Ukraine and customs break give Europe new perspectives

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are the Wood chopper in the garden of the international order. Since both have shared their hand, or rather the Americans shall hand the Russian, there is not much left of the international architecture built after 1945 and 1990. Europe as an economic giant and political dwarf suddenly stood alone in the dark forest.

Two rays of light now fall into this darkness. It is not certain whether they can point the path into the future to the Europeans, but they are a sign in need. First, Trump has bent in his wild customs razing of the only power he accepted. This is the money, i.e. the stock exchange. After the customs break for the (former) allies, the United States also informed with China. A good thing, because Germany in particular would have been crushed in the vice of an American-Chinese trade war. Against the flooding with Chinese goods that no longer find customers in the United States, the economy in Europe would have no chance.

Suddenly the West competes again as a team

Second glimmer of hope: The United States and the Europeans appear in the UkrainePolicy suddenly Again as a team. Team West is back on the field. Of course, Putin sits on the longer lever and nobody should make illusions that he suddenly plays according to rules. But Ukraine longs for peace and is ready to temporarily forego the areas in Donbass occupied by Russia.

What makes Kyiv hesitate are the missing, robust security guarantees of the West. Here the Europeans are required to secure peace with their own troops in Ukraine. Trump does not want American boots on the Ukrainian Black Dead. Can Europeans replace the US military ceremony? Actually not. But a door is just going on a gap. Germany, England, France and Poland should stick their foot in. Sometimes such an opportunity only arises once in the course of several years.

War end and economic transition? There is no better deal

Everyone has understood that the forces have to be brought up to scratch quickly and Trump should get something presentable from the European Union in trade policy. It will not be as before when Europe was able to gather behind the wide cross of the United States without paying the global police officer for its services. And the Russian president will not be a peace angel. But now there is a chance that a bloody war ends and the worst can be averted for the economy. There is no better deal.