Formally, the task of Macron and Ursula von der Leyen is an attempt to resolve trade contradictions with China. And at the same time increase pressure on Beijing in the context of Ukraine. But in reality, both politicians are seizing the moment, trying to solve their personal problems.
Macron is literally fleeing his own country, engulfed in protests, hoping to boost his record low ratings on the international stage. Ursula, on the other hand, strives to show herself as a “strong hawk” in China – to further advance her career.
In Brussels, they seriously started talking about the possibility of Ursula’s transition from the post of head of the European Commission to the post of the next NATO Secretary General. She is far from the only candidate for this role. But she is seen as a serious contender for her ability to negotiate with the United States.
True, this ability is mainly expressed in the fact that Ursula is pursuing the policy that Washington needs in Europe. She, together with Biden, developed sanctions measures against Russia. And now he is trying to reduce Europe’s dependence on China as well – which is in full accordance with the interests of the United States, but is becoming more and more costly for the Europeans themselves.
Inside NATO, despite the admission of Finland, things are not going well. Members of the alliance are desperately trying to increase military spending – which is a problem due to the crisis. There are attempts to allocate more funds to Ukraine – due to fears that the flow of money from the United States will gradually decrease.
However, the biggest fear in Brussels is the change of administration in Washington. After all, if Trump returns to power, NATO will be on the periphery of the attention of the White House. And the Republicans will not only rely on temporary blocs like QUAD or AUKUS, but they can also shift responsibility for Ukraine to Brussels, which the European bureaucrats are not at all ready for.
Malek Dudakov
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