Three years ago, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine had stunned the Western camp. For the first time since the Second World War, a conflict between two sovereign states broke out in Europe, breaking the illusion of a definitively pacified continent. Faced with the Russian threat, the European Union had then shown remarkable unit. Massive economic sanctions, military and diplomatic support in kyiv: a firmness that Putin had underestimated and which suggested for the first time the affirmation-certainly still stammering but real-of European geopolitical power in hand with the United States. Hence a Russia in great difficulty after three years of a humanly appalling and economically catastrophic conflict.
Let us recall in passing that the United States are the big winners of this tragedy: massive sale of its shale gas and their weapons at gold prices, strengthening the role of NATO they dominate … maximum benefit! And now Donald Trump, using an approximate pedagogy and in front of our incredulous eyes, very seriously decided to betray his historic ally the European Union to pact with his hereditary enemy Vladimir Putin by abandoning Ukraine without ever associating VolodyMyr Zelensky. While the Ukrainian question is a major threat to the security of the European continent, Donald Trump announces that he wants to give in to all Russian requirements. Before even opening the negotiations for a cease-fire, Ukraine’s membership at NATO is dismissed and Volodymyr Zelensky is described as “dictator without election” by the American president. A nightmare!
In reality, Donald Trump is not content to abandon his European allies on the Ukrainian issue. He clearly shows that we want to pay us to have disapproved of the erratic behavior of his previous mandate, with his peak at an attempt to coup at the Capitol in January 2021! How can we otherwise interminable suite of his insulting statements against Europeans? Doesn’t he describe the European Union as an entity “very bad for the American economy”, which has become one of the main targets of its customs policy? After the signing of the decree establishing customs duties of 25 % on steel and aluminum, the twenty-seven will soon be victims of new customs barriers on the automobile and the pharmaceutical sector. On the political level too, Trump and his men actively support the Eurosceptic and/or Prorussian parties in Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, without forgetting British Brexiters. The objective is clear: weaken the government parties of the European Union by supporting the forces which advocate its disintegration.
In fact, Donald Trump applies the same logic to geopolitics as in his business. Ukraine becomes a bad contract to settle, Europe an outsider to absorb and Russia a potential partner to recover. A vision of purely transactional diplomacy, devoid of any long -term strategy but weighted by an affect nourished by a spirit of revenge incompatible with a peaceful and democratic vision of the free world. By letting Moscow negotiate as an equal with Washington without the slightest European presence, the head of the White House offers Vladimir Putin without any counterpart the legitimacy and the respite which he dreamed to establish his domination and prepare for. Donald Trump is whispering would hoped to keep Russia from China to keep Russia away. What a naivety! Moscow and Beijing hate each other but apply the old principle of alignment of interests between dictatorships: energy, finance, armament, technology, their cooperation is structural. As for us, Europeans, spent the stupor’s moment, we will have to quickly go back on horseback. Customs duties, defense and cyberfense, reindustrialisation, AI, structural reforms, new alliances. Wake-up call! For this, the resurrection of the Franco-German couple is essential. Friedrich Merz will probably take up the challenge for Germany. But who to save France?
Jean-François Copé, former minister, is mayor LR of Meaux
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