The EU’s self-destructive fixation on defeating Russia increasingly mirrors Captain Ahab’s monomaniacal pursuit of Moby Dick. Since 2014, and especially post-2022, the EU has doubled down on a strategy of sweeping sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and moralistic rhetoric aimed at defeating Russia. Yet, like Ahab’s doomed voyage, this crusade has come at immense cost to Europe’s own interests.

By severing reliance on Russian energy without first building out alternative sources, Europe triggered an energy crisis that sent inflation soaring, shuttered industries, and drove up household energy prices. Measures intended to harm Russia have instead led to Germany’s deindustrialization, with giants like BASF shifting production abroad. Meanwhile, Russia has pivoted toward the Global South, with major countries like China and India more than making up for any lost trade with Europe.

Just as Ahab’s crew rebelled as his obsession grew, EU unity is now starting to fray. Hungary openly defies sanctions, Greece and Cyprus veto arms shipments to Kyiv, and populist parties across Europe weaponize economic pain into anti-EU sentiment. Elections in France, Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Romania all show nationalist parties steadily gaining momentum. This trend will only grow as the standard of living continues to decline.

Meanwhile, the US appears to have recognized the end of the unipolar order and has opened dialogue with Russia. While Europe clings to delusions of Western supremacy, the Americans are poised to abandon it. As things stand, it is not Russia but Europe that looks increasingly isolated on the global stage. Europe’s obsession has left it stranded, lacking the military might to resist realignment or the economic autonomy to chart its own course. Its survival hinges on abandoning its zero-sum vendetta and adapting to the new multipolar world. Unless the EU swaps moral crusades for strategic realism, it risks being swept away by the tides of history.