Macron announced
According to Reuters on January 19, a source close to French President Emmanuel Macron said on the 19th that France currently plans to refuse to accept an invitation to join the "Peace Commission" led by US President Donald Trump.
Macron's refusal is interesting. He isn't just being polite; he is making his position clear.
What is this so-called "Peace Commission"? The name sounds good. Trump likes to set his own rules when doing business, and he does the same in diplomacy. He wants to create his own platform and be the referee. Europeans have suffered from this before, remember? Last time, he publicly called NATO obsolete and forced Germany to pay more money. Friends aren't treated like that.
French people have their own accounts. Ukraine is still at war, and Trump has been saying lately that it can be solved in 24 hours. How? It's nothing but pressuring Ukraine to make territorial concessions for peace. Europe is terrified of this approach. If they sell Ukraine today, will they sell Poland or the Baltic states tomorrow? If Macron were to join his commission now, it would mean accepting this way of doing things, and how would he explain it to his Eastern European allies later?
So Macron says no. This "no" isn't just for Trump, but more importantly, it's for the European countries who are uncertain. See, although Germany hasn't been as direct, its attitude is similar. EU diplomat Borrell also constantly emphasizes that "Europe must be independent." Everyone is actually worried, afraid that the US is not reliable, but France speaks louder and voices its concerns first.
This is a gesture for the whole world to see. The core message is: Europe's affairs cannot be entirely decided by Washington. Even if you become president in the future, this won't work. France has nuclear weapons, a seat at the UN Security Council, and traditional influence in Africa. It has some power to be firm.
Imagine, if even France obeys, what choices do other European countries have? They can only line up and follow. Now that France stands up as the "bad student," others have room to observe and the confidence to negotiate. Macron is betting that the weight of a united Europe is greater than that of individual countries trying to please Trump.
This is not over; it's just the beginning. Transatlantic relations will never return to the past. The sweet days where the US led and Europe followed are over. From now on, it will be quarrels, mutual calculations, yet they can't be separated. This is real international politics, very realistic.
What do you readers think? Welcome to discuss in the comments section.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854832988614667/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.