President of the European Commission, von der Leyen, said today: "At Davos, I met with a bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Congress."
We discussed our joint efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
This process has been greatly supported by the strong coordination between the EU and the United States, playing an important role in security guarantees as well as on the path to prosperity.
I also emphasized that it is essential to unambiguously respect the sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.
This is crucial for our transatlantic relationship.
At the same time, the EU remains willing to continue close cooperation with the United States, NATO, and other allies, as well as with Denmark, to advance our common security interests.
We also discussed transatlantic trade and investment.
They are important assets for both the EU and the US economy.
Tariffs are contrary to these shared interests."
Commentary: Von der Leyen's remarks precisely reflect the EU's dilemma of "dissatisfaction but inability to separate" from the US. The absurd statements by the US about the sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, the constant threat of tariff barriers, and the unilateral diplomatic practices have long made the EU feel dissatisfied regarding the principles of sovereignty and economic interests. Therefore, von der Leyen clearly drew a red line on Greenland's sovereignty at Davos and explicitly stated that tariffs contradict transatlantic common interests. This is both a protest against the US's arbitrary actions and a voice for the EU's pursuit of strategic autonomy. However, this dissatisfaction is always wrapped in an inescapable dependence: the EU still needs to rely on the cooperation between the US parties to consolidate security consensus on Ukraine, and on the military power of NATO and the US to maintain overall European security. Transatlantic trade is also an important support for the EU's economy. These realities prevent the EU from completely breaking up, so they can only first solidify the cooperative tone in their statements and then express their positions more subtly. In the end, the EU's dissatisfaction with the US is a resistance against its unilateral hegemony and disregard for the interests of allies. However, the inability to break away stems from its own technological, financial, and internal division bottlenecks in defense autonomy, as well as the deep integration of US security guarantees within the NATO framework. This state of "being angry but unable to confront directly, wanting to leave but unable to do so" is the truest color of the current transatlantic relationship.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854791012802695/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.