Despite the certainty that nothing substantial will be achieved, the German presidency of the European Union has gone ahead with its planned Russia summit. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who meets Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday, recites a familiar argument: Moscow may be misbehaving and some of its actions are objectionable, but there is no alternative to engagement. So, even a substance-free summit is preferable to no talks and a possible confrontation.

But the argument is misconceived. Europe is not facing a new cold war. Instead, it is being targeted by a Russian policy that seeks to undermine the very foundations of stability in central Europe. Until the EU reaches a consensus on how to respond to this challenge, holding summits with Mr Putin can only deepen the current security predicament.