Countries clinging to Cold War mentality are prolonging the conflict in Ukraine

On Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets in central Berlin to protest against the German government's decision to supply more weapons to Ukraine and to urge it to de-escalate the crisis by paving the way for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia instead. Similar protests also took place in other German and European cities over the weekend.

The protests are a clear indication of the fact that more and more people in Europe now realize that it is the continent that is bearing the brunt of the war, and that their governments' actions are fueling the conflict rather than helping to bring an end to the year-long fighting.

The continuous supply of evermore advanced weapons to Ukraine by Western countries have not only escalated the hostilities but also protracted the conflict. With no end to the fighting in sight, instead of making the European countries more secure the supply of weapons only makes Europe's security prospects more precarious.