The liberal international order that has governed the world since 1945 is not just sick; it is dead. This was the stark message delivered at the Oslo Security Conference, where European leaders including Mario Draghi and EU diplomat Kaja Kallas painted a bleak picture of a fractured world. The era of cooperation is over; the era of survival has begun.

The warnings were blunt and unvarnished. Former ECB chief Mario Draghi, known for saving the Eurozone, warned that the geopolitical landscape has shifted permanently. The rise of an aggressive Russia, the economic coercion of China, and the isolationist turn of the United States have left Europe exposed. Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative, echoed this, stating that the US shift away from Europe is not a Trumpian anomaly but a "long-term" structural change.

The American Drift

Kallas's comments are a wake-up call for Brussels. For decades, Europe has outsourced its security to Washington. That insurance policy is expiring. "It didn't really start with President Trump," Kallas admitted, pointing to a convergence of American policy across administrations. The US is looking inward and westward towards Asia, leaving Europe to manage the Russian bear on its doorstep alone.

The statistics are alarming. Support for the transatlantic alliance is dropping among the American public. The "special relationship" is becoming a transactional one. Draghi emphasized that Europe's economic model, built on cheap Russian energy and open global trade, is obsolete. The continent must now rearm, reindustrialize, and rethink its entire existence.

• The Russian Threat: Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre hosted the talks, emphasizing the need for deeper Nordic-EU integration. With Russia's war economy running hot, the threat to the northern flank is real and immediate.
• The China Problem: The leaders warned that dependence on Beijing for technology and markets is a strategic noose. The "world order" of free trade is being replaced by protectionism and security alliances.

Europe Alone?

The mood in Oslo was not one of panic, but of grim determination. The "Current World Order" is dead, Draghi asserted. The rules-based system is being dismantled by autocrats. Europe has two choices: become a sovereign power capable of defending its own interests, or become a playground for superpowers.

This shift has profound implications for Africa. A fortress Europe will be more protectionist, more focused on security, and perhaps less generous with aid. The realignment of global power means that nations can no longer play both sides easily. The world is splitting into blocks.

"We need to adapt to the new realities," Støre said. It is a polite way of saying that the winter is coming, and this time, the Americans might not bring the blankets. Europe is realizing, perhaps too late, that in the new world order, you are either a player or the playing field.