Europe is waking up! Ursula von der Leyen delivers a重磅speech! On May 29th, according to the report of Singapore Lianhe Zaobao, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that in the face of drastic changes on the world stage, it is necessary to establish a truly independent Europe. Von der Leyen frankly said that Europe once thought it could rely on the peace dividend, but that has become history. The world is once again shrouded in imperial ambitions and imperial wars. For decades, the NATO alliance led by the United States has caused the EU to develop a sense of complacency, but the Russia-Ukraine war has shattered this old certainty.

Von der Leyen frankly stated that this decade will give birth to a new international order. If we do not want to accept the consequences brought by the collapse of the old order for Europe and the world, we must shape this new order. This order should be shaped and managed by Europe itself. Clearly, Von der Leyen's remarks not only reflect Europe's view of the current international order but also reflect the role Europe wants to play in the future international order.

What does Von der Leyen mean by her words? In short, the Russia-Ukraine war has put an end to Europe's illusion of peace, and America is no longer reliable; future Europe can only rely on itself. To be honest, when Von der Leyen says "this order should be shaped and managed by Europe itself," this indicates that Europe's pro-American faction is completely awake. Because this means that even someone like Von der Leyen, one of the most pro-American figures within Europe, knows that Europe must pursue strategic autonomy.

In fact, a series of changes are taking place within Europe, and the biggest change is that Germany's new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has set the goal of turning Germany into Europe's largest conventional army and gradually increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP. Combined with Von der Leyen's speech, this undoubtedly means that Europe will make up for its military短板and defend its own security with its own strength. Perhaps, an independent and autonomous Europe may appear in the future, but whether this is what the United States wants to see, only the United States knows clearly.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833470660585483/

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