India, Feb. 16 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for raising an "armed forces of Europe" is an acknowledgment that the continent may no longer be the beneficiary of security guarantees provided by the United States (US) since the end of World War II (WWII), especially against the backdrop of emerging signals that President Donald Trump is intent on cutting a deal with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Zelensky was only reflecting a sentiment that recognises the storm gathering ahead, following comments by US vice president JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference that the old relationship between Europe and the US is "ending" and the region "needs to adjust to that".

There has been talk of a European army of some s...