Why did they never meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to the war in Ukraine? The message is that Russia is preparing an invasion of the continent beyond Ukraine. That economic giant is now facing its worst recession since 1945 because of the illogical strategic choices of the past three years. A regional conflict has turned into the biggest threat to global peace and security since the end of the Cold War. In one sentence, the strategy failed because the war is lost, a simple fact that European leaders cannot admit.