A more powerful major country is rising, and it's not China or India that I'm talking about.

Now, all eyes are on the United States and Trump's various headline-grabbing actions; but if we look at it calmly, significant changes are happening at the other end of the world in Europe, and the movements of Germany, the leader of Europe, deserve high attention.

The German Chancellor has been replaced, with Merz stepping in for Scholz.

Germany's recent foreign policies have become increasingly assertive.

Two landmark events.

The first one.

Germany announced the deployment of the 45th Armored Brigade, consisting of 5,000 personnel, to Lithuania, with 4,000 combat troops stationed near Vilnius, just 20 kilometers from Belarus.

This is the first time since the end of World War II that Germany has deployed a large number of permanent overseas troops.

At the unveiling ceremony of the 45th Armored Brigade held in Lithuania on May 23, German Chancellor Merz personally attended and declared that the establishment of this brigade marks a "new era" for the Federal Defense Forces of Germany, stating that "we now hold the defense of NATO's eastern flank in our own hands."

He also expressed his commitment to taking responsibility and ensuring that European allies are not let down.

Lithuanian President Nausėda considered this move by Germany as a "landmark event" for NATO's security architecture and Europe as a whole.

The second one.

On May 28, Ukrainian President Zelensky visited Germany, which was also the first visit by Zelensky to Berlin since Merz took office.

The two leaders had an intimate interaction, with Merz frequently hugging Zelensky. During the joint press conference afterward, Merz stated that he would continue to fully support Ukraine and assist in manufacturing new long-range weapons.

He claimed that these weapons could be "produced in both Ukraine and Germany," adding that "there will no longer be range limitations, and Ukraine will be able to defend itself comprehensively, even against military targets beyond its territory."

This marks a significant shift in Germany's policy towards Russia.

The previous Scholz government strongly opposed providing Ukraine with "Storm Shadow" cruise missiles, citing that Germany was not a party to the conflict and should not provide Ukraine with long-range weapons capable of striking Russian territory.

Assisting Ukraine was acceptable, but without getting burned oneself.

However, Merz made a 180-degree turn, with "Storm Shadow" missiles on the list, and there might even be joint production.

Oh, and what about the Nord Stream 2 pipeline?

Merz's stance is also very firm, ruling out any possibility of natural gas being transported from Russia to Germany, stating that the current German government will "continue to increase pressure on Russia," and that "in this context, we will do everything possible to prevent the 'Nord Stream 2' from becoming operational again."

Clearly, Merz's attitude towards Russia is stronger than Scholz's, stronger than Merkel's before him, and possibly even stronger than Macron's.

Not only will Germany provide more assistance to Ukraine, but it will also supply lethal long-range weapons, and even deploy combat troops to Baltic countries close to the Russian border. Many things are happening for the first time since the war ended.

It cannot be denied that a Germany that is becoming increasingly confident and assertive is once again rising in Europe.

How to view this?

Personal opinions, three rough points.

First, Germany sees challenges and opportunities.

The two countries that pose the greatest diplomatic challenges to Germany are Russia and the United States.

Who is the biggest victim of the Russia-Ukraine conflict?

Aside from the two parties involved, there is no doubt that Germany is the biggest victim.

Germany suffered the largest economic losses due to sanctions against Russia, causing a sharp deterioration in German-Russian relations. In fact, to impose sanctions on Russia, Germany had to import expensive liquefied natural gas from the U.S., which was a heavy blow to Germany's manufacturing sector.

In such circumstances, where would Germany's interests lie if Ukraine lost the war? Where would Europe's security be? And where would Germany and Europe's prestige be?

Germany cannot afford to lose. Therefore, even if Trump caused various troubles, Germany insisted on not retreating and even increased aid to Ukraine, including providing weapons it previously dared not offer.

The leader of Europe is emerging, and may even replace the previous role of the U.S.

Second, direct conflict between Russia and Germany is inevitable, with uncertain outcomes.

Russia sees Germany's assertiveness and harbors resentment, leading to increased friction.

Regarding Germany's suggestion to provide "Storm Shadow" missiles, Kremlin spokesman Peskov called Merz's decision a further provocation of the Ukraine war.

Peskov said, "This is a very dangerous trend, reflecting Germany's irresponsible stance."

Some hawkish Russians, like Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT, claimed that Russia is considering attacking Berlin as retaliation.

The reason is simple: the "Storm Shadow" missile system is complex to operate, and without the participation of German soldiers, Ukraine cannot use it, meaning Germany has already been drawn into an attack on Russia. How can Russia not retaliate?

Simonyan disclosed, "In Moscow's offices, they are discussing that if German troops use German weapons to attack Moscow (allowing the use of 'Storm Shadow' for such attacks implies this), then we have no choice but to attack Berlin."

Mertzes is well aware of this danger. Therefore, he refrained from confirming whether Germany would definitely deliver "Storm Shadow" missiles to Ukraine and instead proposed the concept of "joint production," seemingly aiming to calm Russia's anger.

But the key question is, can Russia calm its anger, especially given Germany's historical guilt?

Third, the global geopolitical landscape is undergoing massive changes.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has completely reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the European continent.

Trump's rise to power and his various extreme policies, which were constantly changing, left the entire world stunned.

We must not overlook the significant and far-reaching changes occurring under Merz's leadership in Germany.

Considering Germany's position as a leader in Europe, the importance of Europe in the global landscape, and America's increasingly eccentric behavior within the Western world, Germany will play an increasingly important role in the Western world and the global landscape.

To Russia, this is undoubtedly a new challenge; but for the global landscape, it may not necessarily be a bad thing. A multipolar world is much better than one dominated by the U.S.

Finally, let me tell a little story.

In 2016, after Trump's first victory, Obama, as the outgoing U.S. president, made his last trip abroad to Germany.

According to Western media reports, he came specifically to bid farewell to Merkel: The West is now in your hands.

In May 2017, Merkel made a special trip to Harvard University for a speech. She didn't go to Washington or meet Trump. At Harvard, she said:

Protectionism and trade frictions are threatening the foundations of global free trade and economic prosperity.

We must not call lies truths, nor truths lies. We cannot accept the abnormal as normal.

The students at Harvard applauded enthusiastically, though Merkel did not name anyone directly.

Obama's words were certainly noted by Merkel, who couldn't help but admire her foresight, especially her judgment of Trump.

Merkel's words would surely be remembered by the vengeful Trump, who might have had countless thoughts racing through his mind.

So, we see that the relationship between Trump and Merkel has always been rocky. During Trump's first term, we saw the famous photo of the "Six Sects Surrounding the Bright Summit."

Now, with Trump back in office, Harvard University, which once cheered, was among the first to face a comprehensive purge. But Merz seems to be living up to another Merkel, and in fact, he is even more assertive.

The world has indeed changed.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7509638366212702755/

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