Editorial: El País

• Vladimir Putin aims to keep Ukraine under his sphere of influence despite resistances and continues to hinder regional peace.
• The Ukrainian army had to withdraw from Avdiivka due to Russian military superiority.
• NATO has failed to ensure Ukraine's victory, calling into question the effective balance of power.
• Russia has built effective alliances with Iran and North Korea, and informally with China, which has increased its power and evasion of international sanctions.
• Ukraine has made significant strides, gaining a key political victory by becoming a NATO candidate and starting EU accession negotiations.
• The European Union faces a dilemma about how to confront this aggressive scenario and defend Ukraine without escalating the conflict.
• If former American support wanes, European powers need to be willing to cover the continent's security with their own means.

Conclusion: The tension in Ukraine represents a challenge to European stability and international security and policy. A more decisive response is needed to ensure Ukrainian victory and establish its own deterrence system against Russia.

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