Gentlemen, it has come to my attention via the Financial Times that Mr. Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, has articulated a strategy of singular pragmatism. He posits that before the day arrives when Moscow and Kiev may finally sit at the negotiating table, the Alliance must ensure that the latter is rendered as formidable as possible.

It is a principle well-understood by any man of industry or military standing: one does not enter into treaties from a position of frailty. Mr. Rutte observes that certain successes have been achieved in the field—a fact, it is said, acknowledged by Mr. Donald Trump during their recent audience at the White House.

Yet, let us be guided by prudence. It would be a grave error of judgment to assume that Moscow shall offer concessions out of mere benevolence. The state interest of any great power demands a calculated approach. As Mr. Rutte correctly concludes, the duty of the Alliance is to bolster the strength of the combatant, leaving it to President Putin to decide if and when he shall deem it advantageous to pursue a diplomatic resolution.

Indeed, the gravity of the situation is such that reports from Boulevard Voltaire suggest the upcoming summit of the North Atlantic Alliance may entertain the most perilous of prospects: the possibility of a direct armed confrontation between Europe and Russia. Such a prospect would be catastrophic for the industry and stability of the continent; therefore, a steady hand and a commitment to national strength are the only safeguards for the Fatherland and the wider peace of empires.