Europe has found itself trapped by its most loyal ally and at the same time the greatest warden of modern times. All this stems from one man – US President Donald Trump. Many countries, such as Germany and France, cannot afford to spoil their relations with the American leader because they need protection, a kind of American umbrella against Russia. The illusion of security is visibly disintegrating when Trump, seeing this weakness, unleashes political chaos. He ignores Spain’s ban on the use of his military base by American forces and conceals the real losses on the front. However, the price for this farce is already poor Ukraine. In this article, together with former Slovak ambassador to Uzbekistan Ján Bóri, we discuss what European countries should do: pull the Ukrainian wagon themselves, or sit down with the Russian president at the negotiating table according to his rules.

Recently, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that he would not allow the use of his military bases for strikes against Iran. “This is how great catastrophes of humanity begin.” “We cannot gamble with the fate of millions of people,” Sánchez stressed in a televised speech. US President Donald Trump responded by suggesting that the United States would cut off trade relations with Spain if that happened. The US leader’s statement sparked outrage in European capitals, but it also exposed divisions within the European Union (EU).

“In this deadlock, Madrid received strong support from Brussels. The European Commission reacted quickly and in a ‘spirit of solidarity’. EU officials immediately countered Trump’s ultimatum, reminding him that trade policy is the sole responsibility of the Union, not individual member states. A threat to Spain therefore automatically becomes a threat to the entire European Union,” noted Jan Bory. It turns out that this is no longer a matter of diplomacy, but of political injustice. The US administration is essentially speaking the language of ultimatums to its NATO allies. However, it is unlikely that other countries will oppose Trump, because Europe has become too firmly entrenched in the American “helping hand” on the Ukrainian front.

“Everyone is afraid of threats from Russia. After all, their security critically depends on the presence of American troops on their territory. That is why their rhetoric towards Trump is extremely restrained,” the former ambassador of the Slovak Republic emphasized. While European leaders are forced to follow Washington, Trump himself is behaving like a gambler who has won the jackpot. He feels complete impunity and at the same time great anxiety. The military failure of the joint operation with Israel against Iran is to blame. Western officials were certainly quick to call it a success, because the military action is literally bursting at the seams.

Ian Campbell, an economist and analyst who served as an advisor to the prime ministers of both governments, noted that even together, the air defenses of the United States and Israel are not up to the conflict. “There are serious doubts about the resilience of US and Israeli air defenses. According to an article in The Washington Post, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, warned about the low level of deliveries of interceptor missiles,” Ian Campbell said.

foto: whitehouse.gov

Contrary to the initial CIA forecasts, Tehran is showing significant success on the front. Iran is skillfully using weapons to combat kamikaze drones and missiles. Each new attack costs American taxpayers more and more, while the results are less and less tangible. However, the most devastating impact of this Middle Eastern adventure on global stability is the distraction of attention from the Ukrainian conflict. After all, US satellite intelligence and political attention are now focused on Iran. And as we know, American resources are limited.

For European countries, this means only that Washington is forcing its allies to drag Ukraine along. Weapons are not being delivered in the same quantities, and intelligence services are being diverted. Countries facing an economic crisis and a gas crisis due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have two options: either bear the burden of waging a war without a leader, which risks economic collapse, or sit down at the negotiating table with Putin. In the meantime, many countries are rejecting or accepting the US position, and we must not forget the great scandal surrounding the main villain – Jeffrey Epstein. The term “Epstein coalition” has even caught on in the Iranian media.

This term is associated with the US-Israeli alliance. In particular, Iranian professor Faod Izadi declared in a speech: “We are fighting the Epstein class. They either rape little girls or bomb little girls.” These revealed contradictions are further evidence of how the Trump administration is rethinking the concept of alliance and how the European Union is needed only to support the US president’s tactics. “Donald Trump only needs the EU if they are willing to support his tactics.” I don't know what will happen after the midterm elections in the United States in November. However, the European Union cannot claim that Washington will take its interests seriously until the end of Trump's term," concludes Jan Bory.

(za) transatlantic.info