The 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly recently concluded in New York. The organization has existed for eight decades since its creation in San Francisco in 1945. Technically, its anniversary is on 24 October, the date on which the Charter came into force, officially establishing the United Nations. This established the current international order, which is aimed at preserving peace, respecting human rights and the rule of law, and achieving other noble objectives. This order was established after the destruction of two world wars that began in Europe.

As on previous occasions, the annual ritual in New York was repeated, with humanity facing the third year of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the massacre of men, women, and children in Palestine. Israel has been granted complete impunity for razing the city of Gaza and for bombing Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Qatar. International law has been trampled on with the approval of the United States, the main power, and its veto in the Security Council paralyses any action. Nor can we forget the 'forgotten' civil wars and violence in Africa, in countries such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Somalia.

In Europe, Poland has shot down drones in its airspace, claiming they are of Russian origin. Meanwhile, Romania, Denmark, and Estonia have reported sightings of drones over military installations. The latter two countries have reported violations of their airspace by Russian fighter jets, which Moscow has denied.

In what is becoming a new battlefront - space - Germany and France have accused Russia of tracking their satellites. Of the more than 2,000 satellites in orbit that are used exclusively for military and intelligence purposes, the vast majority belong to the United States, Russia, and China - the countries that are leading the space race.

While the world watches the destruction and death of human beings on television, new weapons are being perfected, and the arms industry sees its share prices soar on international markets. We have witnessed an endless parade of more than 150 heads of state calling for peace and strengthening multilateralism and the United Nations, as well as urgent climate action, sustainable growth, and addressing the silent war that threatens the planet. Many speeches, yet nothing changes in the real world. Except for those by representatives of major powers, which caught the attention of the world press, the large United Nations Hall was almost always half empty, offering a sad spectacle.

Meanwhile, the European Union is preoccupied with rearmament and complying with the US President's instruction to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. This will result in trillions of euros or dollars being spent on manufacturing and acquiring weapons, primarily from the United States. In turn, the Nordic and Baltic countries maintain compulsory military service, with some countries extending it to women. Others, such as Germany, currently offer it on a voluntary basis.

In his first appearance before Parliament or Bundestag on 14 May, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for the rearmament of Europe, adding that he hopes to make its conventional armed forces the 'strongest' on the continent. History shows what happened when Germany had the most powerful army twice in the 20th century. It is interesting to consider what Poland and France, in particular, think about having an armed economic giant on their borders. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the United Nations General Assembly that his country has no intention of attacking NATO member countries but warned that any aggression would be met with a "decisive response", adding that "no one expects Ukraine to regain its 2022 borders". In other words, he confirmed that the territories already conquered by Russia - accounting for 20% of Ukraine's territory - will not be returned. This leaves Kiev with only one option: to regain what it has lost by force.

The prospect of war spreading to Europe and NATO forces becoming embroiled in a conflict with Russia seems unimaginable.

The United States has 100,000 troops deployed in Europe and has long been the main guarantor of security. Several countries rely much more on Washington's protection than on Europe's, whose military industry would need at least a decade to develop real defense capabilities - if it could reach a political agreement among its 27 members. So far, the Russian economy has shown that it can withstand blockades and sanctions by relying on powerful allies such as China.

The question is whether Ukraine will be able to retake lost territory. The answer is categorically no, unless the United States opts for open warfare, involving NATO and the European Union, and assuming responsibility for the loss of American and Atlantic Alliance soldiers' lives. In the meantime, thousands of young Ukrainians and Russians will continue to die.

If the European Union wants to develop an independent policy, it must accept that the only way forward is to return to diplomacy and negotiate with Russia, however difficult it may be to accept that force determines the international order. This is the approach favored by the US government, which has on more than one occasion shown that it condones Moscow's actions.