Europe's 'new world order' is letting Vladimir Putin run riot

The Spectator's perspective is rather unkind to the EU's faux power expression. After all, when member states for the most part gutted their military capabilities after 1990 in favor of expanded social welfare programs and using the American security umbrella for protection, it is rather difficult to project credible strength and deterrence, as a realist will argue. The only option would to take a liberal approach (No, not an ideological description. Rather a Political Science term describing a International Relations paradigm.) and go through international organizations in the hope that behavior can be changed. 

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9153271/europes-nightmare-neighbour/