Reference News Network, January 21 report: The U.S. magazine Foreign Policy's biweekly website published an article titled "A United Europe Can Only Be Achieved by Europe Itself" on January 15. The author is Morten Sørensen Larsen. The article excerpts are as follows:

A new perspective is gradually taking shape across the Atlantic. No matter what happens next, the relationship between Denmark and the United States has undergone an irreversible change.

Mikkel Rung Olsen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said: "We had put all our 'eggs' in the 'basket' of the United States. We were 'super Atlanticists.' Our support for the United States far exceeded that of many other countries. But those days are gone." Olsen said: "The era of viewing the United States as the cornerstone of our security strategy has ended. This is a costly lesson."

The meeting on January 14 did little to calm the Danes' emotions. President Trump showed no restraint in his desire to possess Greenland, which Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described in a press conference as "conquering" Greenland.

Soon after the meeting, the European Parliament issued a strongly worded statement expressing support for Denmark and Greenland. However, the winds within Europe have shifted. The current support is not just strong wording; several European countries are now pledging to send troops to Greenland.

France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia have all responded to the European joint military exercises held in Greenland and sent forces. Even if only a few officers are deployed, the signal they send is strong enough.

Christine Nissen, an analyst from a European think tank, said: "Imagine a U.S. military helicopter landing in Greenland. When the crew steps out of the cabin, what will they see? A desolate place? Dog sleds? Or a line of European soldiers? That makes all the difference. Denmark has raised the stakes, making it more difficult to find alternatives without diplomatic means."

In Nissen's view, this is part of a deep transformation in European thinking.

Nissen said: "The old international order benefited Europe greatly. All our planning was based on this order, and the entire society operated on the basis of the free world and the international trade system. But all of this is ending. Reacting to this takes time, which is why there is this state of stagnation."

The result is likely to be a further strengthening of European unity. After Russia, the United States has now become the second major power that poses a threat to European territory. This gives the anti-Russian and anti-American camps in the European public sphere a reason to unite and call for a stronger Europe.

Malene Wind, director and professor at the Center for European Political Studies at Copenhagen University, said: "What we are currently seeing is that various parties within the EU are moving towards unity. A united Europe is something Trump does not want to see."

Wind also said: "We have learned that it is no longer wise to over-rely on the United States, because what if another 'new Trump' emerges?"

Today, calls for strategic autonomy are rising throughout Europe. Of course, Europe cannot completely break away from its dependence on the United States overnight. Pilots are trained to fly American Lockheed Martin aircraft. American Palantir Technologies provides surveillance technology to Europe. NATO joint exercises require interoperable systems, which are American systems. In other words, Europe is already embedded in the U.S. military-industrial complex, and getting out of this situation is not as simple as switching from an iPhone to a Nokia phone.

But this does not mean Europe will give up. Nissen said: "This autumn, Denmark approved the largest military spending in its history, investing 5.8 billion Danish kroner (about 900 million U.S. dollars) to purchase a new land-based air defense system. They chose a European solution. This is a declaration of the future, indicating that we will commit to European solutions."

The path of Europe's transformation is certainly not smooth. But today, European leaders believe it is necessary. In Nissen's view, "This is a contradictory path. On one hand, there are structural ties that are difficult to cut; but on the other hand, it must be done. Because not doing so is not a long-term solution."

Europe's transformation is real. At the same time, European leaders seem not to have completely abandoned the strategy of waiting and watching. (Translated by Tu Qi)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7597804176231465510/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.