Our road to independence

“Welcome to the era of the rogue American superpower. It will be lonely and dangerous.”

As a member of the US delegation of the European Parliament, I follow the EU-US relations closely.

This morning I read an extra-ordinary sharp analysis of the impact of ‘America first’ on US allies in The Atlantic that I can highly recommend to anyone curious what the consequences will be.

I share some quotes that stood out for me and the link to the entire article.

“Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, over the opposition of Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and the European Union, showed just how little regard the United States has for Europe’s security. The message to Europe, as the scholar Ivan Krastev has noted, is that “the trans-Atlantic relationship no longer matters.”

“More worrying for European allies has been the evident indifference of the United States to the consequences of its actions.”

This is the reality we, Europeans, face and will have to act on more quickly then we are doing now:

“Trump’s tactics with allies consist almost entirely of threats: to tariff them, to abandon them, and, in the case of Greenland, to use force to seize their territory. When Trump discovered that he needed the help of allies against Iran, he did not ask them for help or work to persuade them. He simply “demanded” that they do what he said.”

Europeans countries, have rejected these demands and were right in doing so, but:

“Trump has repeatedly made clear, including during this war, that if he is unhappy with an ally, he will withdraw American protection.”

“For Europeans, the problem is worse than American disregard and irresponsibility. They now face an unremittingly hostile United States.”

Europeans notice it so public opinion on the US is changing:

“This is the world we are now living in. Anti-Americanism is on the rise in formerly allied countries.”

“Nations that once bandwagoned with the United States will now remain aloof or align against it – not because they want to, but because the United States leaves them no choice, because it will neither protect them nor refrain from exploiting them.”

Time for us Europeans, to speed up our road to independence.

How? Read more here.