European leaders claim that their continent is good at learning and adapting in response to crises; "Europe will never be the same" is one of their most frequently used expressions.

Often, the fundamental change does not happen. But even at this early stage in the Ukraine war, when we do not know how long the fighting will continue or what the outcome of the confrontation will be, one conclusion emerges clearly: post-war Europe will be a radically different continent, almost regardless of what its current leaders want. For Ukraine is a crisis like no other.