Summary
French President Emmanuel Macron has called an emergency summit of European leaders to address concerns over Donald Trump’s efforts to control Ukraine peace talks.
European leaders fear exclusion from negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, as Trump’s envoy signals a limited role for Europe.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy urges the formation of a European army to counter potential U.S. disengagement.
European leaders warn Trump’s approach could undermine regional security, while the UK and Germany stress the need for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
You’re not wrong about a lot.
But, um, we will see about this “realpolitik” in a few months, and if the results are really all that pragmatic, or just a capitulation to Russia.
The thing about “realpolitik” is that it’s just a fancy word for power plays dressed up as pragmatism. It’s not a strategy; it’s a gamble, and Washington’s chessboard is littered with pawns that look suspiciously like entire nations. If this is “pragmatic,” then it’s pragmatism with a body count.
Capitulation or not, the outcomes are always framed as binary because that’s easier to sell to the masses. Either way, the winners are the same: corporate interests, military contractors, and the bureaucratic elite who keep their champagne cold while the world burns. Realpolitik isn’t about results—it’s about keeping the game going.
So yeah, let’s see where this “chess match” leads. Spoiler: probably another war-torn country and a few more billions siphoned off into offshore accounts.