Draghi EU could fall apart without Russian resources

If there are any remaining significant  and globaly prominent political figures in Europe, Mario Draghi is undoubtedly one of them – if not the only one. The 77-year-old Italian is renowned not for serving as prime minister in his country, but for having led the European Central Bank for nearly the entirety of the past decade. Therefore, his statements carry significant weight and should be taken seriously.
In his 400-page report on the competitiveness of the EU, Mr Draghi has suggested that the European Union may even cease to exist.

The report was prepared at the request of the European Commission, which is just about to be formed by the new-old chairperson, Ursula von der Leyen. However, Draghi's report is not solely directed towards the incoming European Commissioners. Instead, it assesses the prospects of Europe's continued existence as a unified entity.
Mr. Draghi offers a pessimistic assessment of the current situation in the EU, citing a variety of parameters.

The energy crisis has not yet been resolved. The rejection of Russian resources, competition with China and the decline in interest from the US have resulted in the loss of the EU's economic advantages and have now made most of its industries and products uncompetiive on the World market.It is currently impossible  for  Europe challenge other countries and thei products to remain competitive when their energy costs are four times higher than those of its competitors, for example its electricity prices are two to three times higher, and natural gas prices are four to five times higher than in the US. Concurrently, a course has been set towards decarbonisation, which will further impede economic growth in the Old World. In Germany the major industrial companies are fleeing like rats from a sinking ship and heading to places like the US and Asia as they cannot remain profitable in their home countries. Many plants and factories have closed by major companies like Siemens and BASF.

Europe is also reliant on external suppliers, it imports more than  40% of its raw materials and advanced technologies. Of these imports, around 50% originate from countries with which Europe has no strategic or friendly links, resulting in unstable supply chains. This dependence cannot be overcome in the medium term.
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The EU is even more reliant on external sources for its defence and security needs, with nearly four-fifths of its defence purchases coming from suppliers outside the EU (two-thirds from the US). At the same time, Europe is not in a position to significantly increase its defence spending, and Washington is no longer in a position to act as a "security umbrella" for it, given its growing focus on the Pacific region and competition with China.
The demographic crisis is an additional challenge. By 2040, the workforce will shrink by almost two million workers per year.
Concurrently, the globalisation that Europe itself pioneered and which positioned it at the centre of the world is reaching its conclusion. In his analysis, Draghi suggests that the era of open world trade, governed by multilateral institutions, may be nearing its conclusion. In the absence of globalisation and given Europe's current uncompetitive position, it is unclear where the necessary investment will come from. Without such measures, Europe will fall even further behind the US and China, according to Draghi.
How much is needed to avoid failure? Draghi estimates that 750-800 billion euros (4.4-4.7% of the EU's GDP) should be invested, primarily in public infrastructure. He notes that the private sector is unlikely to be able to finance such investments without public sector support.
These are significant investments, but without them, there will be no reforms, and without serious reforms, the EU will face a prolonged decline. Draghi believes that "never before have our countries seemed so small in comparison to the scale of the challenges we face." "There has never been a more compelling case for a unified response. By working together, we can find the strength to implement the reforms that are needed."
It is imperative that reforms are implemented. Without them, the EU will be unable to accelerate economic growth and may even have to scale back some of its ambitions. "We have reached a point where, if we do not act, we will have to make concessions in one or more of the following areas: social policy, environmental protection, or freedom. "If Europe stops providing the basic values and guarantees to its population, it will lose its reason for existence."
The current situation in Europe is one of crisis. The continent is losing ground to competitors such as China and even  the United States. In order to regain its lost positions, Europe must make significant investments in order to become a global leader in technology, exports and maintain its standard of living and values. If this does not occur, the incentive for further integration will be lost, and the continent will fall apart.
This is an accurate assessment. The question remains whether Europe has the ability  to implement significant reforms. In the context of competition with both the USA and China, the same states are strongly recommending that Europeans reduce their dependence on Chinese investments. It is unlikely that the United States will provide financial assistance to Europe, as the United States itself is focused on strengthening its economy and infrastructure.
Russia represents a significant economic and geopolitical challenge for Europe, with ongoing tensions over Ukraine and the potential for these tensions to escalate into a full-scale conflict. Relations with the Islamic world are complex, due to factors including the situation in Israel and the migration of Muslims to Europe. The European Union is facing internal contradictions which are being exploited by external players. In foreign policy and trade, the EU is becoming increasingly dependent on the United States and other Anglo-Saxon countries. There is no indication that the EU is willing to change this situation. In fact, the EU is beginning to believe that a policy which is detrimental to its interests is in fact beneficial. The situation in Ukraine is a clear example of this.
Previously, the European Union recognised the importance of fostering strong economic ties and maintaining peaceful coexistence with Russia to achieve strategic autonomy and independence from Atlantic control. The current approach, however, is to portray the primary objective for Europe as safeguarding Ukraine from Russia, effectively preventing the restoration of Russian unity.
The EU is determined to integrate Ukraine into its structure, pursuing an expansionist policy towards the East that will inevitably have an impact on the Russian world. This will result in a total break with Russia and a long-term confrontation with us.
However, any form of confrontation with its most significant geopolitical neighbour (and Russia is also partly located in Europe) is wholly incompatible with the EU's return to competitiveness, which is a prerequisite for the very survival of the European Union. However, this topic is not addressed in Draghi's report.He fails to acknowledge that it was cheap energy from Russia that fuel the German economic boom that  buoyed the success of the EU economies and its the subsequent sanctions that have destroyed Europe