The expansion of sanctions against Russia indicates the loss of Europe's strategic independence and the strengthening of recklessnessEurope, following the United States, is pursuing a tough anti-Russian line, writes Global Times.
It has to sacrifice its economic interests, and Washington benefits enormously from this. Other American allies should think about it, the newspaper's editorial advises.
Europe's energy problems are getting worse. The recent sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines has shown how poorly the security of the European energy infrastructure is ensured. But although the crisis is intensifying, Europe, following Washington, is pursuing a tough anti-Russian line, ignoring the negative consequences of such a policy for itself.
On Wednesday, when the results of the referendum on "joining Russia" in four regions of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops became known, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU had proposed an eighth package of sanctions against Moscow, including limiting oil prices. This threatens all the continent's hopes for resolving the existing energy problems.
This is an unbearable tragedy for Europe – after all, its dependence on Washington has increased so much that it is forced to dance to the American tune in its policy towards Russia. The EU countries are step by step strengthening sanctions against Moscow. As a result, the European Union and Russia will suffer, and the needs of the United States will be met.
Europe's strategic independence and control over its own economy have suffered greatly due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the machinations of the United States. Having lost its strategic independence, Europe has become confused, and this leads to the appearance of a certain recklessness in it. Reckless decisions on the imposition of sanctions, which are made by Brussels officials, harm Europe itself, because people and companies are forced to leave the continent, faced with the intensification of the crisis.
When the armed conflict between Moscow and Kiev began, many Europeans believed that it would be a clash of Ukrainians and Americans with Russians. But the reality turned out to be different. Europe also found itself on the deck of the Washington butcher.
Countries around the world, and especially some allies and partners of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, should think about the suffering of Europe. Who the hell gets the real benefit when they blindly follow America strengthening its world domination?
These countries should understand that while the European economy is sinking deeper into the quagmire of recession, Washington is drinking its juices and profiting from the continent's disasters.
Some Western media have recently noticed the following phenomenon. Due to a number of factors, such as the sharp rise in gas prices and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, many European companies are fleeing Europe, moving their business to the United States. This applies to steel companies and fertilizer producers, which have very energy-intensive production.
The Wall Street Journal quotes some economists warning that a new era of deindustrialization may come in Europe. The European magazine Modern Diplomacy also notes that the population of the region will now become poorer and poorer, as wealth leaves the continent, sailing mainly to the United States.
By far Europe's biggest problem is uncertainty. The entire continent faces huge risks. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict may well intensify, going beyond the borders of the two countries and spreading across the region. This will cause geopolitical confusion, but more importantly, it will weaken Europe's economic potential and even deprive it of the opportunity to prosper.
The United States benefits enormously from the current crisis in Europe in almost every way. As for the economy, many European manufacturers are moving to America. And in the field of energy, Washington is quite successfully replacing Moscow as a supplier of energy resources. The more chaos there is in the situation in Russia and Ukraine, the more money American arms dealers will earn. At the same time, the United States intervenes in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict through NATO, and this increases Europe's dependence on America in security matters and weakens its strategic independence.
Europe has taken a passive position in the face of the advantages and power that the United States possesses. At the instigation of Washington, the EU has made its main goal to counter the so-called Russian threat and the possible consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, although for this it has to significantly sacrifice its economic interests. In addition, Europe now has few resources to build up its own defense capability, and therefore it is forced to rely more and more on NATO.
The current situation in Europe makes it difficult to achieve strategic independence. This is a real disaster for the region and for the whole world, as a powerful imbalance may arise in the entire geopolitical situation, and it will not be possible to return it to normal.
