The European Union, an entity that casts itself as a peace and trade project, is in crisis talks Thursday focused on defense.
Along with the specter of a belligerent Moscow, President Donald Trump’s sudden redrawing of alliances and withdrawal of aid for Ukraine are driving Europeans to fast-track plans to bolster their militaries, upgrade their arsenals — and, ultimately, to curb their dependence on the United States.
“I want to believe the U.S. will stand by our side, but we have to be ready for that not to be the case,” French President Emmanuel Macron told his country in a speech Wednesday night. “The future of Europe must not be decided in Washington or Moscow.”
Among the E.U. leaders meeting in Brussels, there’s a rallying cry that Europe needs to embark on a military buildup in a way it hasn’t in decades.
From Scott Pinsker:
Our EU “allies” bought €21.9bn [$22.8 billion] of Russian oil and gas last year. They then gave €18.7bn [$20.2 billion] of aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia really is playing to win: The Kremlin spent a staggering 6.7% of its GDP on defense last year. Yet NATO “countries” like Canada don’t even spend 1.4%.
But compared to Europe, the Canadians are practically a “nation” of Rambo’s: Over 10 European countries spend 1% or less on defense — including wealthy countries like Germany, Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland.
Does the principle of American leadership and American exceptionalism mean that the burden of defending the world’s Western democracies should fall largely on us, since we have the requisite power?
If all countries build up their own militaries and have to be responsible for their own defense, won’t this mean a greater chance for wars to break out, as has been the case for much of the world’s history? Won’t this also encourage more countries to develop nuclear weapons, some perhaps with the will to use them?
I think I told this story on this blog, but let me tell it again. I was talking with a group of Australians who were asking why the USA doesn’t have a comprehensive free health care system like they do. Another Australian replied, “If America didn’t have to defend us and everybody else, maybe they could afford to!”
What do you think? What criteria would you suggest for the U.S. to come to another country’s aid? Where would you draw the lines?
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