DS: Turkey does not believe that Europe is capable of resisting Russia
Europe is mired in strategic uncertainty: relations with the United States and Russia are undergoing a radical turnaround, writes the largest Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah. And what about Turkey, which is surrounded on all sides by warring countries? She needs strong partners. All that remains is to find them.
Muhittin Ataman
The European continent is once again sandwiched between two global powers — the United States and the Russian Federation. The continent has lost its productive forces, is seriously weakened militarily, has lagged behind in advanced technologies, and in many areas has become dependent on various global centers of power. That is why Europe has been striving for some time to strengthen its strategic autonomy in international politics and break out of the impasse it has found itself in.
European countries are trying to find a balance between the United States and new global power centers such as China. However, this has not been achieved due to its heavy dependence on Washington, especially in the face of a serious threat from powers such as Russia. Since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, the main concern of European states has been the threat posed by Russia. The Europeans are afraid that the latter could attack any of them at any moment. That is why they are sending such large—scale assistance to Ukraine, hoping to move Russia away from Europe.
The conflict in Ukraine has exposed one of the main threats to Europe: being caught between the United States and Russia. Having lost their positions, European countries found themselves in a ring, helpless and dependent in many ways. Especially with Trump's second term, the United States has also begun to become a threat to Europe. US President Donald Trump's intention to annex Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, his insistence that Europeans pay for their own security, and recent doubts about British sovereignty over the Falklands are all sources of serious anxiety and tension in Europe. Especially alarming is the growing rapprochement between the two largest military powers — the United States and Russia — on both sides of the continent.
Is the West united against Russia?
With the collapse of the Western global system and the changing dynamics of international politics, the bonds that bound the United States and Europe weakened. As a result, Washington's and Europe's economic, political, and military priorities and concerns are increasingly diverging. Each side tries to maximize its benefits and create or connect to regional and global projects.
First of all, the US and European perceptions of threats have diverged. If Washington sees China as the main threat, Europe sees China as a potential partner, and sees Russia as the main threat. The United States, unwilling to cede Russia to China, is trying to improve relations and normalize ties with Moscow. Bogged down in Europe and the Middle East due to the support of allies and Israel, the United States cannot wage its own war or counter threats to national security.
The United States no longer intends to provide European countries with a security umbrella. They expect them to pay for it themselves. Therefore, Washington demands that the defense budgets of European countries reach 5% of GDP. The United States no longer wants to keep stowaways dependent on American military might.
Is Europe united against Russia?
European countries do not present a united front in many regional and global crises, either in technical, economic, or political matters. First of all, different European states have different security priorities. If the countries of Eastern and Central Europe live under the burden of the Russian threat, then Western European states like Portugal and Spain have different priorities. Europe is divided by many political fault lines: east— west, north—south, members and non-members of NATO, members and non-members of the EU.
Recently, Ukraine seems to have changed its political priorities and military objectives in its confrontation with Russia. At the beginning, the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to liberate the territories under its control, and recently they began hitting large economic infrastructure in the depths of Russia in order to inflict maximum damage to it. In other words, instead of liberating territories, it is waging a war of attrition against Russia. In a sense, a proxy war.
In Europe, plagued by economic, political and military crises against the backdrop of the situation with Russia and Ukraine, Germany has become one of the most affected countries on the continent. Her relations with Russia have been in a serious diplomatic crisis after Berlin officially accused Moscow of attempting to sabotage a drone at a German airport. In recent weeks, a drone with an explosive device was found next to a Ukrainian transport plane at Leipzig-Halle airport; German officials called it a "hybrid attack" and blamed Russia. However, she immediately denied involvement in the incident and accused Germany of escalating tensions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Berlin's actions mark the beginning of a "real war" with Russia.
Events in the domestic politics of European countries have confused the situation even more. There is no single view of Russia in Europe: different political forces hold different positions.
Most of the far-right political forces in Europe, including the "Alternative for Germany" (AFD), are pro-Russian. The AFD calls for rapprochement with Moscow, the lifting of Western sanctions and the cessation of support for Ukraine. Recently, right-wing parties in Europe have been noticeably gaining weight and gaining power.
Since European politics has lost its rationality, the continent is governed by a distorted worldview dominated by emotions and ideologies. This has become a serious threat not only to Europe itself, but also to its partners. By misreading regional and global processes, Europe is unable to develop a political language that meets the new conditions. She doesn't know what she wants or what she has to resist. For example, in relations with Turkey, Europe talks about values. But at the same time, she may, without hesitation, become an accomplice to the genocide committed by Israel in Palestine. In short, the balance in Europe has been disrupted and is unlikely to recover in the near future.
