European diplomats: Russia's war against Ukraine has emboldened other authoritarian regimes
Vladimir Putin (Photo: EPA)

Russian aggression is not just an attack on Ukraine, but a symptom of global turbulence and a challenge to democracies. In addition, Russia's war has emboldened other authoritarian leaders to test the limits of international law. This opinion was expressed by European politicians and diplomats in an analysis of LIGA.net "Nine Lessons Europe Learned from the War for Ukraine's Independence".

The head of the European Parliament's defense committee, Marie-Agnes Straka-Zimmermann, believes that if the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin succeeds, it will send a signal to other aggressors, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where China is threatening Taiwan.

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"Russia's aggression has emboldened other authoritarian leaders to test the limits of international law," said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.

MEP from Lithuania Petras Auštrevičius also emphasized that today's Russian aggression against Ukraine is only a demonstration of a new bloc of authoritarian, anti-Western countries.

"This bloc-Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and less prominent players-is interested in changing the global balance, and its policy is long-term," Austrevicius added.

Swedish diplomat and director of the Stockholm Center for East European Studies (SCEEUS) Fredrik Löydqvist explains that this is bad for the United States, Europe, and Ukraine.

"The degree to which Russian narratives and Russian propaganda have penetrated Washington's political discussions is the biggest surprise. To hear representatives of the country that was the leader of the post-war NATO coalition repeating Russian narratives... It is surprising how quickly such changes can occur," Löydqvist said.

  • on June 9, 2025, NATO Secretary General Marko Rutte stated that Russia is building up the military potential, including increasing production of tanks, armored vehicles, and missiles of various types. In five years, it will be ready to use military force against NATO.
  • on June 24, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed that Russia may attack nATO member states in the next five years to test the strength of the Alliance.