After the task is chaotic Donald Trump, That Calling the EU an enemy of the same level as China And predicted the contagion effect Brexit, European leaders welcome the victory Joe Biden With relief, even with enthusiasm.In Brussels, they dream of this veteran Democratic politician Will restore the U.S. to its traditional role as an unparalleled superpower with The top military police of a rule-based world orderThe first gesture of the new White House seems to confirm this illusion.
“America is back“Biden announced several times during his visit to NATO and EU leaders in June last year. In fact, the United States has returned to Paris Agreement on Climate Change Brussels had supported it and Trump despised it.In addition, the President of North America continues to negotiate to rejoin Nuclear agreement with Iran, Another great success of community diplomacy.And it’s over Your predecessor’s trade war with the EU.
“NATO is vital to U.S. interests“The constitution of its collective defense clause”Sacred duty“Biden guarantees.”We are very happy to have a trusted partner“The President of the Council of Europe replied, Charles Michel, When meeting the new U.S. president in Brussels“The past four years have not been easy,” said committee chair Ursula von der Lein, who expects Trump’s departure to bring fundamental changes.
The Occupied Envoy of Afghanistan The illusion that exploded into a thousand dollars in Brussels It is possible to go back in time, and Europeans can once again take refuge under the U.S. security umbrella. When compelling, exclude aggressive speech, Biden’s behavior is not much different from Trump’s: Put the interests of the United States first (a famous American motto America first), return to the standpoint of isolationism, and even take action unilaterally without consulting its closest partners.
Surprise and helplessness
This attitude made European leaders angry and shocked.Although few people criticize Biden directly, most people admit his Facing the inability of the United States to unilaterally withdraw from Afghanistan“The decision by the United States to leave Afghanistan surprised many partners. I think it requires frank discussions,” the Belgian Prime Minister said. Alexandre de Crowe, This is one of the clearest of his protests.
“After the United States invoked a provision that when a country is attacked, other countries must help it, NATO countries went to Afghanistan. From our point of view, it is clear that We should go in together and go out together“De Crowe said.
“We went to Afghanistan in response to the attack on the United States. When the United States decided to end its military mission there after the signing of an agreement (between Trump and the Taliban) in February 2020, there was no For other allies, European allies and Canada, there is no viable viable option to stay There is no America,” said NATO Secretary-General Joe Biden, who has also been cautiously publicly condemning Biden.
However, the Afghanistan crisis is not the first disagreement between the European Union and the Biden administration, although it is the most serious.European leaders blame veteran Democratic president Veto the export of vaccines against Covid-19 and its components And use Debate on the use of patent publication as a smokescreen and distracting attention.
When the European Union has opened its doors to American tourists, especially vaccinated tourists, the United States has veto power over the entry of EU tourists (including vaccinated tourists), and Brussels is also angry.And Biden still insists Impose tariffs on European products such as aluminum and steel or Spanish table olivesHis recent humiliation to his European partners was his refusal to expand his presence at Kabul Airport after August 31 to complete the evacuation, despite the plea of G7 members to do so on Tuesday.
“We have been living in a huge fantasy. We thought that the United States has returned, but in fact it is retreating,” lamented a French liberal member of the European Parliament. Natalie Loiso, He is Emmanuel Macron’s European Affairs Prime Minister. “The United States is the person who is most responsible for the current situation (Afghanistan)”, accusing Markus Söder, the president of Bavaria and one of Angela Merkel’s CDU heavyweights.
Post-American Chaos
“The tragedy in Afghanistan highlights Europe’s dependence on Washington’s foreign and security policies. We have reached a turning point. A common European defense policy is no longer an option. The only question is when”, Written on Twitter French Commissioner Thierry Breton, A close ally of Emmanuel Macron.
“it’s time Wake up and smell the American coffee. The basic lesson Europeans learned from the collapse of Afghanistan is not a lack of consultation, or even the incompetence of the United States. The third consecutive North American president stated that Your country will no longer be the watchdog of the world Nor will it use its power to support stability goals that are difficult to achieve in remote areas. The tragedy in Afghanistan is the logical result of this position, and it has now become very clear,” Jeremy Shapiro wrote. Think tank European Council for External Relations.
One of the people most angry about Biden’s unilateral withdrawal is the head of European diplomacy. Joseph Borrell, Who complained that the President of the United States limited his mission in Afghanistan to the prevention of terrorism. “We have done a lot to establish a country in Afghanistan, a country that can guarantee the rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms,” he said in the European Parliament.
For Borrell, the fall of Afghanistan shows that the United States is no longer willing to fight “others’ wars” and requires the European Union to stand up, assume its own responsibilities, and achieve strategic autonomy by building its own military. Also the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, Has asked to learn from the abandonment of Biden, and announced that it will present a debate on European sovereignty at the next 27-nation summit.
Since the member states are divided into three camps, a recurring debate in Brussels is always difficult. First, France, Spain, or Italy are firmly committed to European independence in military affairs. Other countries (such as Germany or the East) Pay more attention to cooperation with NATO and transatlantic relations; finally there is a group of neutral member states, such as Austria, Finland or Malta. In any situation, The defeat in Afghanistan forces the EU to examine its conscience.