European leadership is facing growing anxiety. The global solidarity with their framing of the Russia–Ukraine conflict continues to erode. Outside the West, international attention has shifted decisively towards the Middle East, driven by widespread condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 85,000 Palestinians. The vast majority of the killed were non-combatants.

The escalation into a broader conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has further complicated European diplomatic strategies, forcing Western governments to navigate competing foreign policy crises. Compounding these external pressures is a noticeable domestic change: European regimes now confront a public that has grown increasingly lukewarm in its support for the ongoing war in Ukraine.

This is visible even within the cultural sphere. In 2022, the remaining members of the legendary rock band Pink Floyd reunited to release a song urging the Ukrainian people to remain resilient. The band’s guitarist and vocalist, David Gilmour, alongside his wife, openly expressed deep anger toward former bandmate Roger Waters, accusing him of supporting Russian authoritarianism.

Waters, who was a driving creative force behind Pink Floyd before his departure in 1985, has since established himself as a prominent anti-war and pro-Palestinian voice, gaining significant support across the Global South. While his fierce criticism of Israeli policies made him a highly divisive figure in the West, with critics frequently accusing him of antisemitism, the backlash has started to greatly recede. On the other hand, Pink Floyd’s pro-Ukraine anthem is all but forgotten.

Yet, Western cultural institutions continue to rely on a playbook that looks increasingly outdated. European filmmakers, for instance, have increasingly produced cinema that is heavily sympathetic towards Ukraine whilst presenting a heavily skewed perspective of Russia, paralleling........

© Dawn (Magazines)