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War is famous throughout history as the midwife of revolution. But no-one could have imagined just a short week ago when Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of a European democracy,

Ukraine, that in just a few days there would be a revolutionary change not seen in Europe, since — well — the days of the Bolshevik upheavals of 1917. In short, Putin has united Europe as

never before. We are witnessing the emergence of the EU as a military power. We are seeing Finland and Sweden consider joining Nato thus reversing decades of non-Nato policy. We are seeing

Germany increasing its defence spend with the backing of the Greens and Free Democrats. We have seen Hungary, long Putin’s puppet state in the EU, breaking with its master and voting with

the other European democracies. From Ireland to Poland, Europe is opening its arms to refugee immigrants from Ukraine after years in which Europe shut or tried to shut its doors to

foreigners of any sort. It is hard to know where to stop as this Copernican revolution in what Europe is and what it can and must do takes root. When the crisis is over, Brussels should

erect a statue to Vladimir Putin as the man who woke Europe from a long sleep as its leaders decided to accept responsibilities they had long shunned. By far the most important decision is

that Europe has decided to become a military power. The European Commission will purchase and send arms to Ukraine. And everyone agrees — mainstream right, left, green and liberal parties.

The main outliers are the far rightists like Eric Zemmour on the right or France’s Jeremy Corbyn, the ageing leftist demagoge, Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Europe has decided to use its financial

system to press the Russian elites to tell Putin to stop. Like Eisenhower in 1956 during the Suez adventurism who froze the essential flow of dollars to a United Kingdom which invaded Egypt

contrary to international law, the EU has blocked key Russian banks from accessing international funds via the global banking transfer system, Swift. The British elite in 1956 reacted by

removing Prime Minister Anthony Eden who was asked by Eisenhower, “Are you mad?” much as veteran Putin watchers wonder if the ranting Russian leader is fully stable. The hope is that the

Russian oligarchs and siloviki, the network of former KGB agents who installed Putin in 1999 to ensure they would control Russian wealth, will now turn on him as the EU and US cuts the flow

of funds. The German parliament in a short session decided to increase defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP. Two per cent of German GDP is €66bn — 26 per cent higher than the UK’s defence

budget. Germany will build a new generation of warplanes and tanks with France. This is music to the ears of French president Emmanuel Macron’s concept of European “strategic autonomy”. The

rise of an integrated European defence industry building common planes, helicopters, warships, tanks, missiles and even rifles will marginalise the UK defence industry which will either have

to join in as Britain did when it joined the Airbus consortium or just roll over and became wholly dependent on the United States. Europe has shut its airspace to Russian planes which will

ground the private jets that ferry the Putin oligarch around especially to their luxury mansions in Hampshire and £250 million apartments in Knightsbridge. Each move is not only an effective

non-military attack on Putin but also a remarkable expression of a united European polity. Even BBC Radio News last night (Sunday) had to contrast the open offer all the EU is making to

Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s war with the Prime Minister’s claim the night before Britain was leading the way on refugees when the truth was the opposite. This is small change domestic

politics arising from Putin’s aggression, but as South London residents queued on Sunday at Balham’s Polish Centre to donate warm clothes, bedding and other help from the British people to

Ukraine, there may be some political fall-out from Mr Johnson’s mean-spiritedness on refugees fleeing Putin’s brutality. More important is how Brexit Britain handles this new energy,

determination, and willingness to increase military spend by Europe. If Germany’s Scholz and France’s Macron forge an alliance to build up EU defence capability, long a demand of Washington,

where does Britain fit in? Of course, as days unfold, much of the old nation-first EU — of which Britain was a charter member — may resurface and this Putin spawned European unity is seen

to evaporate. But history suggests that once “Europe” decides to do something, that becomes the norm. Europe appears to have decided to do defence of freedom and to no longer tolerate Putin

oligarchs. That leaves Britain and its capital city now known as Londongrad in a delicate position. A MESSAGE FROM THEARTICLE _We are the only publication that’s committed to covering every

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