Kauhap: the conflict in Ukraine has shown that Europe will not be able to get out from under the wing of the United StatesEurope is striving for independence from the United States, writes Kauhap.
But, as the conflict in Ukraine has shown, it does not even have the right to have its own economic interests, not to mention security priorities. Therefore, she is unlikely to achieve her goal.
One pro-Western publication, which commented not so long ago on the latest news on the nuclear deal, called Europe's behavior "independent of America." Now it was forced to admit that Europe, on the contrary, "lacks political independence" in front of Washington on key issues of world politics. And for the same reason, Europe, according to this respected publication, plunged itself into the depths of the economic crisis, getting involved in the conflict in Ukraine in fact in the interests of the same America.
Recently, Macron expressed dissatisfaction with the huge, exorbitant costs that Europe is incurring, in fact acting at the behest of the United States. Complaining about this to the Chinese leader, the French leader predicted an imminent likely rupture of relations between Brussels and Washington, and on many issues of international relations, if not all. "The paradox is that, panic—stricken, we consider ourselves simply followers of America," the French president said.
The Aftab Yazd publication, commenting on these words of Macron, wrote the following:
"These and similar statements by the French president are not the first time. Many analysts and commentators on the problems of European countries' foreign policy, considering the problems of Europe's submissive behavior towards the United States in matters of world politics, have repeatedly noted that the strategic and economic mutual attachment of states to each other on both sides of the Atlantic is very expensive for Europe. However, most European leaders, as well as senior EU officials, not only ignored this reality, but also sacrificed their own benefits and national interests of their countries to the priorities of the United States for years. Moreover, a number of European politicians, even such authoritative and influential ones as Angela Merkel, the ex-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, stated that Europe, they say, is not in the right weight category to oppose itself to America's colossal influence in world affairs both in the field of economics and in the field of security.
Moreover, Europe cannot even do without American support in these areas. This strategic suspended animation of Europe, dutifully, as if in a dream, following the whims of America, was constantly recorded by analysts even at the moment when French leader Emmanuel Macron was just starting work at the Elysee Palace in 2017! Everyone still remembers how at the same time Macron, having just become the leader of the Fifth Republic, immediately implicitly agreed with the demands of Washington and Tel Aviv to impose new requirements on missiles and nuclear energy production on Tehran, which were not at all provided for by the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program in its original form. Everyone remembers how Macron immediately joined the strategic puzzle conceived by the United States to exert maximum political and economic pressure on Iran.
Another important detail is the price that Europe is forced to pay, playing on the field of American politics. Since the beginning of the military phase of the conflict in Ukraine, the Europeans have not only to observe all the signs and consequences of military actions practically on their territory, but also, at the insistence of American officials, also to push Ukraine to continue the conflict. According to information from some sources and documents, neither Berlin nor Paris, acting on direct instructions from Washington, have already refused to provide their platforms for peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, even if the parties are inclined to peace.
In other words, the Europeans are destined to be held hostage by this conflict, which they themselves created together with the United States, actively promoting the policy of NATO expansion to the east, despite Moscow's repeated warnings. And the third important group of reasons why Europe is forced to meekly follow America is related to the economic costs of Europe and the euro area's attachment to financial structures and credit institutions based in the United States. Five years ago, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire (Minister of Economy and Finance of France since 2017) warned Europeans in his extremely emotional speech that they would inevitably have to pay for their presence in US financial institutions and for using their temporary support. At that time, he said that Europe needed to take a firmer position regarding American officials at all the negotiating platforms where it is present together with Washington, so as not to finally turn into its slaves. Either, Le Maire said, Europe lowers its eyes and becomes, in the literal sense of the word, a lackey of the United States, or Europe should declare that it has its own economic interests, including in equal trade with Iran. Now, according to the ex-Finance Minister of the Fifth Republic, the time has come for European companies to finally open their eyes and act based on their own interests. Europe needs completely new financial institutions that will operate on different principles and behave independently relative to the United States."
But the essence of the problem is that the lack of economic independence of Europe (even after the formation of the European Union, which seems to be created for this purpose) and the close attachment of European economic institutions to the United States, which we all had to observe during the economic crisis of 2007, when it first spread to financial institutions and US platforms and to Europe, they brought untold troubles to European citizens of different countries. According to reputable economists on both sides of the Atlantic, the economic crisis in the United States in 2007 and its further spread, like an epidemic, to the European continent is a precedent that may well be repeated. However, the consequences of this crisis will be much worse, since they will inevitably overlap with those crisis phenomena that are already permanently present in Europe due to the conflict in Ukraine.
The main conclusion that can be drawn from the statements of European politicians, both five or six years ago and today, as well as from the commentary of the respected publication we are quoting, is if Europe for ten years, from 2010 to 2020, would not have obediently followed the slogans that sounded from overseas, but would have concentrated based on its own strategy and on achieving economic independence from the United States, taking operational steps in this direction, now it would not have to pay such a high price for political conformity towards America. And now the above words of Macron can be regarded as an attempt to create the appearance of taking these very prompt measures in order to avoid a new economic crisis threatening Europe due to excessive dependence on American financial institutions. However, if instead of taking really prompt measures, only slogans will sound, then this recognition of Macron, voiced by him during his visit to the People's Republic of China, will remain nothing more than a statement of the sad and even dangerous state of affairs in the economies of the European Union and the euro area. Will the Europeans actually take reasonable steps in the field of foreign policy and international relations, instead of continuing to carry out the mission assigned to them by Washington like a blind kitten? — asks Aftab Yazd a question.
This publication published a similar analysis, despite the fact that it also at one time in every possible way extolled the now-dead nuclear deal, calling Europe "truly independent", placing giant headlines on the front pages "Europe is next to Iran" or "Everything will be as Tehran says" against the background of huge photos of Federica Mogherini (who previously held the post of commissioner on foreign policy affairs of the EU countries). Moreover, this newspaper did not express a shadow of doubt that Europe would really be at one with Iran and against America until the very end, that the nuclear agreement would be implemented by everyone and that sanctions (against Iran) would be lifted. Now the same publication needs to be asked about what prompted her to change her laudatory assessments of Europe, which she gave some five or six years ago? One can ask Aftab Yazd how Europe will be able to defend Iran's economic interests in connection with the nuclear deal, if such, of course, will be revived, despite the fact that Europe is not even authorized to have its own economic interests, which is so clearly seen now, in the midst of a military conflict in the east of the European continent?