Europe’s clavo ardiendo non-strategy

The Spanish expression, agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo – literally, “to cling to a burning nail,” something like “clutching at straws” in English – describes the instinct to seize on the thinnest hope in a desperate situation, no matter how implausible or even absurd that hope may be. And this seems to be a recurring European habit when dealing with Russia.

June 23, 2026 - Nicolás de Pedro