Since February 12 and the telephone exchange of ninety minutes between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, it does not go a day without the American administration giving a sign that it “nics” a little more, to use the elegant expression used by the American president about the European Union-“The Eu was formed in order to screw the us [l’UE a été créée pour niquer les Etats-Unis]”, He said-by supporting his kindness on a total falsification of historical facts. From protectors of the free world and the security of Europe, the United States turned as pancakes to make the lawyers of our aggressor.
On the one hand, Trump marries until you flatten all the requests of Vladimir Putin on his appropriation of Ukraine. He announced the withdrawal of financial and military aid and intelligence in kyiv, humiliates President Zelensky, organizes contacts with his opponents Petro Poroshenko and Ioulia Timochenko, prepares the expulsion of some 240,000 Ukrainian refugees having fled the Russian invasion. On the other, and simultaneously, it puts an end to the solidarity of the Atlantic Alliance, this article 5 of NATO which guaranteed peace on our continent. The shock caused by the betrayal of the United States towards us, their release or “niquing”, is not only due to Trump but largely to ourselves, infantilized that we were collectively, to various degrees, by the umbrella of an uncle of America that we wanted to believe eternal. Today, the United States abandons Ukraine. Tomorrow they will abandon Europe. Here we are now naked.
This is our Copernitian moment. If Europeans do not revolutionize themselves to ensure their security and defense, they will in turn be dispected and vassalized by one of the three major powers-United States, Russia, China-who have decided to share the world. Emmanuel Macron, who hammered him since his 2017 election, reiterated him on television on March 5 in a solemn speech and he is now followed by almost all of the EU countries. The German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said before the Bundestag that Germany and his allies had to prepare for Russia to attack a NATO country from 2026, potentially targeting Baltic States and Finland. The intelligence services of various European countries confirm the preparation of the scenario. During an extraordinary council organized on March 6 in Brussels in the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky, the twenty-seven sent a determination message to Washington and Moscow.
The Copernican Revolution began in Europe
They adopted the plan “rearmer Europe”, aimed at unlocking 800 billion euros, which, for the moment, is largely based on the member states: the commission proposes to borrow 150 billion, then loaned to the States wishing to invest in their defense. The hoped -for superior stadium would be a great common loan, on the model of that contracted during the covid pandemic. The validated plan softens EU rules by excluding public deficits military spending and lists the fields to invest in priority (air defense systems, missiles, artillery, drones, etc.). This safety capacity building will be partly intended for Ukraine.
The Copernican revolution began in Europe. Not only because the EU is in the process of acquiring a common defense, but because the Europeans understood, under the aegis of Emmanuel Macron and the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, that Europe was no longer limited to the framework of the EU. A coalition of voluntary countries capable of deploying an army is organized around European members of NATO and Ukraine. The reluctance of a Viktor Orbán, Trojan horse of Putin and Trump in Europe (the Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister is the only one who has not validated support to kyiv) can no longer be enough to block European dynamics by his veto threats during unanimous votes.
Will we be able or not, immediately, to supplement the United States in helping Ukraine? Will we be able, in the longer term, to defend ourselves? The moment of truth about the capacity or helplessness of Europeans to protect themselves from the Russian threat will take place in the coming months. The answer is fragile. But it finally exists. To arms, European citizens!
Marion Van Renterghem is a great reporter, winner of the Albert-London Prize and author of the “North Stream trap” (Arena)
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