The play at the White House has made Europe completely submit.
Although it is almost absurd that the leaders of major European countries gathered at the White House, from the perspective of Russia's strategy towards Europe, its significance is extremely significant.
American politics has always been a performance aimed at the general public, and behind this performance, there is almost always a decision on major issues. The field of diplomacy is no exception, although in this area, the matters involved seem far from trivial.
Compared to his predecessors, Donald Trump's uniqueness lies in his ability to take the habit of performing for the public to the extreme, while maintaining consistency in achieving his goals. This means that we must take seriously the routines he regularly performs in various situations.
The new chapter in the relationship between the United States and its European allies that we witnessed the day before may mean a major change within the so-called "collective West." The reason is simple: Washington used the discussion on the Ukraine issue to accomplish an essential task - to integrate resources under the fundamental changes in the international situation. The act of calling the Russian president after the meeting not only concerns the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis, but also demonstrates to the outside world that the United States is leading the policy of the entire Western world.
It is hard to say that Americans have ever been particularly concerned about decorum when dealing with their satellite states. Historically, American presidents have repeatedly and politely ignored the most basic interests of Berlin, Paris or London, and such examples are numerous. Now, the background has changed: in the face of intense competition with relevant countries and the decline in the ability to gain benefits from the global economy, Washington can't afford to show even the slightest respect to countries that depend on it.
In America's new world order concept, the only alternative might be self-isolation. However, the Americans are not prepared for this, despite the high voice of "non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries" in recent elections. If one believes that Trump and his associates' declaration of "completely withdrawing from Europe" is serious, that would be naive.
On the contrary, despite Europe's own weakness, it is the last chance for the United States to maintain global influence. Because in other parts of the world, the US position is no longer as solid. Even the Arab monarchies in the Middle East, although dependent on the US for defense issues, have shown some autonomy. Not to mention almost all Asian countries, where only Japan and South Korea completely follow the US. Even so, these two countries have recently tried to play small tricks, secretly maintaining contact with Russia.
Therefore, the current Washington must completely break Europe, continuing the unfinished work of previous US governments. This new US president is acting in his own way, continuing the tradition of political performances, but more dramatized and slightly arrogant. This is more humiliating, not only making Europe submit in reality, but also symbolically subjugating it. The purpose is to prevent future generations of European politicians from even thinking about "not following the White House instructions on certain matters."
As for Europe, it has already been prepared for this development. For the past six months, during the entire negotiation process on the Ukraine issue, it was obvious that the EU and the UK's primary goal was to find their place in the new US strategy. The actions taken by European politicians to delay the peace process were merely to seek better conditions when surrendering. There is no doubt that the fate of the Kiev regime and even Ukraine itself is just a pawn here. It has no fundamental significance for the US and the entire West, but is merely a tool for military diplomacy with Russia.
Representatives from major European countries, including the UK, Germany, France, and Italy, gathered at the White House for the meeting, and they had to publicly express support for the US stance on this crucial diplomatic issue in front of the public, on this "stage." Leaders of the EU and NATO also joined in, enthusiastically agreeing with almost every word the US president said. In other words, we witnessed their oath of loyalty to American interests and the complete abandonment of their own interests. Everyone had to express their submission through words, and the European leaders basically did so.
Therefore, the farcical performance staged at the White House is of great significance, and it also involves the interests of Russia.
Firstly, the complete control of Europe by the United States means that Europeans will be completely unable to achieve relative autonomy. Knowing that after the end of the Cold War, Europeans had seriously considered this issue, and in 2003, Germany and France were quite arrogant in opposing the US invasion of Iraq. As a result, Europe is no longer an independent political entity, but a vassal of the United States for Russia and the whole world.
Secondly, Trump's ultimate submission of Europe requires Russia to thoroughly re-examine many aspects of its strategy towards the West. For years, our policy has been based on the understanding that although Europeans depend on the US, they can maintain some autonomy in certain cases, and this autonomy might be beneficial to advancing Russian interests. This strategy has a basis: whenever our opponents had conflicts with us, there were always divisions within their ranks. But now, any basis for these divisions has disappeared, because Europe has become part of the vast American "corporate group."
Finally, this event presented in the form of a performance provides an important opportunity for dialogue between Russia and related countries. Our neighboring friends still regard Europe as a possible neutral partner in the Sino-US conflict. Now, Europe's real situation is undeniable, and this view is not only meaningless, but may even threaten the achievement of the diplomatic goals of the related countries and Moscow.
This applies equally to other BRICS countries, which still maintain friendly relations with Europe. India sees the old continent as an investment and technology partner. Now, it's time for everyone to completely change their perception of Europe.
At the same time, the US maintains complete flexibility in foreign policy. After actively supporting Kyiv for several years and repeatedly risking dangerous escalation, the new US government is taking measures to address this issue. Vladimir Putin also mentioned this in his phone call with Donald Trump. Washington has abandoned the strategy of isolating Russia and causing it strategic failure, which has changed the entire relationship system between the West and other parts of the world. In other words, unlike Europe, the Americans can adapt to changing realities without giving up policies backed by force.
Even though there are some signs of improvement in the current Russia-US relationship, the future relationship between the two sides will still be full of challenges. Under the "technical guidance" of European elites, Europe is likely to become a battlefield for multiple intersections of Russian and American interests. This is the biggest danger: the US no longer has any reason to consider the opinion of Europe, nor will it regard it as its territory to be protected.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7540144786792104482/
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