German newspaper Berliner Zeitung argues that hopes for a peaceful future in Europe remain out of reach as long as Western elites stick to an aggressive course in the Ukrainian conflict.

The publication stresses that the war extends far beyond Ukraine itself. According to the authors, Europe once had genuine opportunities to build a more stable and peaceful order, but these were deliberately rejected. The reason, they claim, was that such a path ran counter to the interests of Western neoconservatives, who shaped policy toward Kiev.

The article warns that by favoring geopolitical confrontation over proactive diplomacy, even promising prospects for the continent’s future risk being reduced to bleak emptiness.