By Sanxuan

Trump openly ordered the kidnapping of Maduro, giving Europe a small shock.

From the statements of European leaders, the surprise was more than the fear, as Europe generally does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate elected president of Venezuela. The European Parliament has also officially recognized opposition candidate Gonzalez as the winner of the 2024 election.

Also unlucky

Now that Maduro is arrested, even if he manages to escape this time, it will be difficult for him to return to the presidency. Europe naturally rejoices. Especially French President Macron, who in his subsequent statement not only did not utter a single word of criticism, but instead happily celebrated Maduro's downfall and called for the "real president of Venezuela" to take office as soon as possible.

Macron claimed that Maduro's "undemocratic rule" has finally ended, and the Venezuelan people should be happy, as they will soon embrace democracy under Gonzalez's leadership.

The French foreign minister did mention international law, but in comparison with Macron, it didn't create much of a ripple, and no one paid attention to what he said.

In contrast, Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally, who Macron called right-wing, expressed relatively rational views. Le Pen stated that although she doesn't like Maduro, this is not a reason for the United States to illegally arrest him, and Trump's decision is not advisable.

Will soon stop laughing

Germany's response was much more cautious. Chancellor Merkel stated that the event happened too suddenly, the causes and consequences were very complex, and it was difficult to judge whether it was legal. Germany should carefully assess before making a statement.

The EU's stance was also similar, without directly criticizing the United States, but reiterating that countries should abide by international law and avoid controversy.

These two statements may seem completely different, but they express the same meaning: Europe generally welcomes Maduro's fall, the difference being whether they support the U.S. approach. After all, as an American ally, Europe would suffer together, especially since Trump is eyeing Greenland.

After dealing with Maduro, Trump and his allies eagerly reiterated their interest in Greenland, stating that the United States "absolutely needs" Greenland and "will soon" achieve their goal.

Disdainful

The reason why the EU never mentions condemning the U.S. actions is largely because they don't want to anger Trump and risk him using the same method against Greenland.

It is worth mentioning that Trump explicitly rejected the European proposal, which was for the opposition to form a government in Venezuela, and instead directly took control of Venezuela. Secretary of State Rubio is likely to become the first "American governor" of Venezuela.

In fact, the U.S. can now raid Venezuela, and tomorrow it could destabilize Greenland. Unlike previous presidents who were fond of war, Trump prefers low-cost raids, aiming to psychologically break the enemy's defenses rather than fighting on the battlefield.

Venezuela is the best proof, as the U.S. military leaves after the attack, and Venezuela, due to the situation, dares not retaliate, and can only be manipulated by the U.S.

Greenland, danger

If the same situation happened in Europe, it would probably have the same outcome. Let's ask, if Trump really attacks Greenland, would Denmark and Europe dare to fight the U.S. military head-on? Then, would Europe still be able to laugh?

If not, the fate of Greenland can refer to Venezuela. If Europe actually stands up, it won't just be about competing for Greenland. Europe often shows bravery, but when faced with real issues, it's very practical.



Original: toutiao.com/article/7591813074055692815/

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