It is often said that military strength underpins political power. Joseph Stalin’s reputed quip, “How many divisions does the Pope have?” still resonates today, particularly as Europe grapples with a security crisis on its doorstep. In an era defined by hybrid warfare, shifting alliances, and political fragmentation, Stalin’s cold realism reminds us that, ultimately, physical force-boots on the ground, steel in the field-remains the final arbiter of international disputes. Today, as Europe struggles to muster even a fraction of the troops needed for a credible military presence in Ukraine, it finds itself vulnerable-not merely to external adversaries but to internal decay and political disunity.

Recent reports highlight that the so-called “coalition of the willing,” intended to provide stability in Ukraine, is far from fulfilling its promise. According to The Times, the coalition has struggled even to assemble a proposed force of 25,000 soldiers, far below the initial target of 64,000. London, a key proponent of the idea, has dramatically scaled back its own contribution, opting for limited training missions near Lviv instead of full troop deployments. For a continent that once boasted empires stretching across the globe, this is a sobering reality.

The underlying causes of Europe’s mobilization woes are not difficult to discern. Most European armies are shadows of their former selves-understaffed, underfunded, and poorly prepared for large-scale conflict. The end of the Cold War ushered in an era of peace dividends; defense budgets were slashed, and military service became an afterthought rather than a duty. Modern European societies have grown accustomed to peace, outsourcing their security first to the United States through NATO, and later to the assumption that soft power and economic integration could prevent major conflict.

The result is an alarming fragility. Europe’s collective active-duty........

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