The Straits Times of Singapore today (April 5) wrote: "Europe is unwilling to get involved in a U.S.-Iran conflict. President Trump has fiercely criticized leaders of the UK, France, Germany, and others, even threatening to stop assisting Europe's defense. As Europe begins rebuilding its military capabilities, how can it endure humiliation at this critical juncture—maneuvering with Trump while transitioning from short-term reliance on the U.S. to long-term defense autonomy? Meanwhile, the intensifying flames in the Middle East are boosting Russia’s momentum on the Ukraine front. How, then, can Ukraine adopt an inverse strategy by reaching out to the Persian Gulf…?"
[Clever] Commentary: More chickens don’t lay more eggs; more people don’t necessarily produce more work. Maintaining unity among the EU’s 27 member states is extremely difficult. Moreover, increasing military spending inevitably means cutting social welfare expenditures—something European citizens may not accept. Trump abandoning Europe’s defense simply because the continent refuses to join a U.S.-Iran war effectively seizes the lifeline of Europe’s pursuit of defense independence. The EU’s efforts to rebuild its military have already been painfully slow, hindered by deep national divisions and heavy dependence on American arms industries. Further increases in defense budgets directly strike at the nerve of everyday livelihoods. Caught between Trump’s coercion and inducement on one side, and the harsh reality of defense self-reliance on the other, Europe is left with no choice but to endure and maneuver. And as the Middle East crisis strengthens Russia’s position in Ukraine, Ukraine’s attempt to act in reverse by heading to the Persian Gulf is merely a drop in the ocean. Today, the EU finds itself trapped in the crossfire of U.S.-Russia rivalry, facing a dilemma of no way forward or back—a bitter fruit of its long-standing strategic dependence.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861587780107272/
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