To those who imagine that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia would, as if by a miracle, revive Europe and bring it out of its lethargy, an expert in all categories has brought a scathing denial. This expert is called Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the Brussels Commission, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, a dyed-in-the-wool Social Democrat member of the Labor Party.
The applicant was the guest of the morning of France Inter. On this occasion, he was heard condemning the criminal action of Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, emphasizing ” the immense gravity of the historic moment for the old continent, and support Emmanuel Macron’s action to maintain contact with the Kremlin, in order to obtain the necessary military de-escalation and thus avoid total war.
NATO my love
It was all very well. The statement was perfectly founded, justified, argued, until it came to European defence. For the moment, this one shines especially by its absence since it is NATO which is in charge of the job, and that the armed wing of the Atlantic Alliance has its command on the other side of the ocean.
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Obviously, this situation hardly moves the second of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Brussels Commission. Indeed, he praised Joe Biden, assuring, hand on heart: “ We are lucky to have a president in the United States who wants to understand Europe. ” Here then. Joe the fake friend wants above all to have her under her belt, and to make her pay to lighten the financial weight of the military shield supported by America.
A devastating axiom
This is also a constant in the requests presented by the various American presidents, whether they are Democrats or Republicans. Some do it with delicacy, others (they will recognize each other) with harshness. But all have the same requirements, which have the effect of preventing the emergence of a European Europe, endowed with the essential attributes to assume its supposed power, including defence.
In fact, when Frans Timmermans wanted to clarify his thoughts, he launched this devastating axiom: ” Investing in European defense also means investing in the transatlantic relationship. » Boom. Back to square one and European defense “made in America”.
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If we were to stick to this conception, it would be a historical failure. Europe was made face up to its responsibilities by Putin’s coup de force. To block the imperial dreams of the new Tsar, she took sanctions that were certainly necessary but with uncertain political effects, without however cutting diplomatic bridges to try to find another way than war. She extended a fraternal hand to refugees fleeing war. It has also committed itself to more questionable promises of arms deliveries. In the longer term, it will have to ask itself the question of its political, and therefore military, autonomy.
Putin caught in his own trap
For the time being, as recalled by Hubert Védrine, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Europe 1, Vladimir Poutine has more “revived NATO” that he doesn’t have “wake up Europe”. From this point of view, the Russian president has caught himself in his own trap, moreover.
Indeed, he claimed to protect himself from an encirclement of his country by NATO, via the ambiguities maintained on the accession of Ukraine and Georgia. Finally, by putting his neighbor to fire and sword, he ended up having the Atlantic Alliance voted for and finds himself nailed to the diplomatic carpet. For a judo player, it’s not really a performance.
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The fact remains that the European Union, if it wants to exist, including in the face of the Russian bear, should not allow itself to be locked into a Euro-Atlanticist vision. Certainly, this is not the urgency of the moment. The first thing is to stop Putin’s tanks. Then will come the time for perspectives, reconstructions and readjustments. Let’s say that the vision outlined by Frans Timmermans gives a glimpse of the extent of the work that remains to be done to get out of the dogmas that have trapped the European Union since its birth, and which prevent it from playing the role that should be its own. .
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