Self-inflicted vulnerability: Europe in the Ukraine war

The article analyzes Europe's strategic dependence on the United States and its consequences during the Ukraine conflict. The author argues that while Europeans criticized Trump's friendly gestures toward Putin, the EU has shown similar submissive behavior.

Two key incidents in summer demonstrated Europe's weakness: excessive praise for Trump's Ukraine diplomacy and von der Leyen's compromising trade negotiations at Trump's golf resort. The EU faces dependency in trade policy and security matters.

During trade conflicts, European unity collapsed as different countries prioritized their economic interests over collective response. Unlike China, which responded firmly to US tariff threats, Europe accepted an unfavorable deal where US goods enter the EU tariff-free while European exports face 15% US tariffs. In the Ukraine conflict, Europe shows better coordination, with major European powers supporting Ukraine together.

However, the author criticizes this as evidence of political failure - celebrating participation in discussions about a war on their own continent reveals weakness. European governments misunderstood Russia and relied too heavily on transatlantic connections that no longer exist reliably.