"Delivering her state of the union address in Brussels last week, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, painted a grim but accurate picture of the challenges faced by Europe as the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close. A world of imperial ambitions and imperial wars, she noted, is a world in which dependencies are ruthlessly weaponised."
"As Ms von der Leyen spoke, the news that Nato aircraft had shot down Russian drones over Poland graphically underscored her point. In an era of great power rivalry in which the United States has become an unreliable ally, there is an emerging consensus that the European Union must be more robust in defending its own interests and championing its own values."
"Her second term has thus far been defined by diplomatic passivity beyond the EU's borders and a painful lack of ambition within them. On Ukraine and Gaza, as the former president of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi recently pointed out, Brussels has mostly been a spectator as Donald Trump's contentious peacemaking efforts have been brazenly ignored by Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu."
Europe faces imperial ambitions, imperial wars, and weaponised dependencies that require a new, more autonomous European response. NATO shooting down Russian drones over Poland underscored escalating great-power rivalry and the unreliability of the United States as an ally. A growing consensus calls for the EU to defend its interests and champion its values more robustly. Recent EU leadership has shown diplomatic passivity abroad and limited ambition at home, leaving Brussels largely a spectator on Ukraine and Gaza. Member-state disagreement and unanimity requirements have hampered sanctions. A recent trade deal with the US imposed 15% tariffs on EU exporters while removing tariffs on US goods.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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