This newsletter is the 8th published in 2026 and the 54th since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. August 8th month of the year under the sign of a necessary change of mindset and real cooperation in the European camp. Russia remains under article 8 of the Rome Statute for war crimes, an arrest warrant issued in March 2023 against President Vladimir Putin, who is increasingly being challenged by domestic and international public opinion, a man of the past. Ukraine continues to score points, without arrogance or provocation, slowly but surely. Fallen from a height in 2022, it deserves the title of doctor honoris causa. The episode of the Maidan Revolution was a first warning. Since then, it has foiled pessimistic forecasts (about its capitulation), resuming the initiative in 2026. Europeans must implement the standards they produce. The 8th key competence of the European framework (1) corresponds to cultural and artistic sensitivity. The EU must show empathy, a quality that authoritarian governments regard as a weakness. Europe is literally and figuratively burning. Megafires are multiplying in France and Spain this summer 2026, and in the Scandinavian countries (Norway). This time, Europeans must not look elsewhere. The future remains uncertain in 2026 half-time. It holds promise if Europeans agree to break out of their strategic ambiguity and industrial nationalism. The challenge of genuine cooperation between member countries, and with Ukraine.
1- Number 8- a new cycle
2- Article 8 of the Statute of Rome (ICC)– war crimes in Russia
3- Bac + 8 in Ukraine – doctor honoris causa
4- KC8 in Europe-the bet of cooperation without ambiguity