End the war now

The economies of the EU have been stressed since the start of the Ukraine War primarily because they chose to stop buying cheap natural gas from Russia. This shortage has been partially made up by LNG imports from the US. The latest blow is the 15% tariff imposed on EU exports by the US. Germany, the economic engine of the EU, has been in recession since the war and will now be hurt even further with the new tariffs. As the Trump administration pulls back from providing national defense for the EU these countries are now moving to expand their military. This switch will, in the short term, revitalize their economies but substituting defense spending for social spending is not a good long-term strategy. A better solution for all parties is to reach a peaceful settlement to the war. Then Russia exports will once again hit the world markets. Here is an article from August 7, 2025 LONDON — Most Ukrainians now favor ending the war with Russia through negotiations, as support for fighting until victory has dropped sharply since the early days of the conflict. Although their hopes for joining NATO and the European Union have faded and approval of U.S. leadership has plummeted, Ukrainians still see the EU, U.K. and U.S. as key to ending the war. Yet, most doubt that will happen anytime soon. More than three years into the war, Ukrainians’ support for continuing to fight until victory has hit a new low. In Gallup’s most recent poll of Ukraine — conducted in early July — 69% say they favor a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible, compared with 24% who support continuing to fight until victory. This marks a nearly complete reversal from public opinion in 2022, when 73% favored Ukraine fighting until victory and 22% preferred that Ukraine seek a negotiated end as soon as possible. It is time to end this war, a war that should have never started.