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Can Europe stop the spiral into irrelevance in 2026?
Sidelined by the US and China in the past year, European leaders face critical tests this year, including on support for Ukraine.
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US President Donald Trump with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference in Florida in December 2025.
PHOTO: AFP
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Global historic shifts happen slowly and remain unnoticed until they suddenly become the received wisdom, accepted by everyone as the new order of things. The phenomenon is similar to that depicted in vintage children’s cartoons, where someone is seen walking blithely beyond a cliff, only to fall into the abyss the moment he realises that he is simply floating in the air.
That has been Europe’s experience during 2025. A continent which until recently still regarded itself as the centre of diplomacy and claimed to be the model for good governance, efficient multinational cooperation and peaceful resolution of conflicts now seems battered, divided and relegated to the sidelines of world politics.
