The crisis in Ukraine is strengthening the EU

The EU has a knack for turning a crisis into an opportunity. The Eurozone crisis led to the centralisation of economic powers in Brussels; Brexit consolidated the Franco-German push for EU integration; and Covid became the pretext for EU funds being made dependent on members adhering to the ‘rule of law’ for the first time.

It’s looking likely that the bloc will repeat this trick with the war in Ukraine. Prior to Russia’s invasion, the EU was being mocked for its divisions: on Russian gas dependency, on proposed economic sanctions, and on political links with the Kremlin.

Now, the bloc is trumpeting its unity. And it has been remarkable to watch member states tear long-held national foreign policy priorities to shreds for the sake of a common stance on Ukraine.

The first signs of a sea change emerged before Vladimir Putin launched troops into Ukraine. As Russian forces massed at the Ukrainian border the Hungarian leader and staunch EU anti-federalist Viktor Orbán called for the ‘development of European military capabilities and a joint defence force.’