The European Union has nominated its first space and defense commissioner. The EU is exploiting the Winter War of 2022 defense crisis to increase its own power. Don't let the EU get away with this. The EU may be a weak enemy of America, but it is still an enemy.
Historically, the European Union has focused on economic and political integration of the continent, ceding defense capabilities to NATO. Yet, Russia’s war against Ukraine, heightened tensions in the Middle East, and the prospect of a United States disengaged from European security come November has revealed EU’s lack of agency in providing for its own defense and security. As the EU finds its footing as a major defense player, it would do well to view its defense ambitions as one facet of the broader transatlantic security architecture, with NATO at its core as the premier European defense and security venue.
The EU will pretend it is "aligning EU ambitions with NATO" right up until the moment the EU shivs NATO in the back. In isolation, I'd raise no objections to European defense industrial efficiency except that the EU uses any crisis to increase its power. Solving the actual problem that justifies more power is an after-thought.
It's an EU wet dream thinking about America leaving Europe. But the fact is, the EU resents and despises America, whether it is downgrading defense efforts in Europe or exercising power in Europe. It's them--not us. Anything America does or doesn't do is another faux crisis that the EU will exploit to increase its power.
Don't delude yourself into thinking that EU will devote any effort to viewing an EU defense authority as one facet of a trans-Atlantic security architecture. The EU wants to take a wrecking ball to that architecture so it can finally strip away the annoying prefix of its proto-imperial entity.
We will regret that outcome. As will Europeans who still value freedom.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
NOTE: I'm adding updates on the Last Hamas War in this post.NOTE: You may also read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it.NOTE: The image was made with Bing.
