This Is How Europe Can Reach Strategic Independence – OpEd
Aeschylus has said that truth is the first victim in any war. Therefore, it can be said that it is because of this truth obfuscation that the war in Ukraine rages on with no clear end at hand. Thus, in order to achieve peace, it is necessary to return to the truth of the war.
It is quite crystal clear that the war can be categorized under the “Balance of Power Puzzle”. In addition, USA and Russia, have resorted to war according to their truth-seeking interpretation of European wars and especially two World Wars; though this campaign has been disguised under the veneer of field or ideological claims.
The USA’s interpretation of the war swings around a continuum ranging from realists considering the war as a consequentially fatal blow to the USA and theoreticians believing that the war is a decisive battle to maintain and perpetuate a certain type of world order led by America. On the other hand, Russia maintains that the war will determine the fate of its existence and its result should be overcoming the containment strategy of the USA, which has led to the isolation of Russia and actualized the concept of the “Russian World.
The USA considers Ukraine as its security proxy which fulfills its service in the war. Therefore, the truth of the war for the USA is realized through many Ukrainian and Russian forces being killed so that Washington can make weaken Russian and re-make Europe dependent on itself.
Based on the security concepts, when the war continues in an increasing form, the two parties to the war are forced to keep the fire of war burning by taking measures such as increasing military power or joining military coalitions. NATO expansion, by Sweden, Finland, and probably Switzerland’s membership, can be justified by having this proposition in mind.
One of the important truths in the pre-Ukraine war period is “USA security perception” right. In this perception, the United States is considered the “Chosen Nation”, having the hegemonic power to rule the world. Based on this pre-history truth, America has used all its economic and military power in the form of sanctions and endless wars to prevent the emergence of an opposing or even non-opposing world power, as a response to emerging countries such as China and Russia; which can challenge Washington’s position in the “truth of global security order equations”.
Delving into the “truth of the war in Ukraine” reveals that the USA is trying to take the role of the godfather of the world order and shelter those who are distressed as a result of the recent developments. In order to achieve this goal, Washington should pursue a non-peaceful foreign policy and keep its emerging rivals grappling with war. As it is clear, the continuation of the war in Ukraine has provided a fertile ground for the USA to fulfill the role of the godfather of the world order.
In the Ukraine war, the USA has kept the battlefield in a situation where the European countries basically do not have the possibility to decide whether to continue the war or lay the groundwork for peace. Therefore, it is of negligible importance who wages a war against whom, and what matters is encircling Russia, remaking Europe dependent on the USA again, and then moving towards China.
For American politicians, Europe is nothing more than a free accommodation for refugees or a military base that has always been used in times of need for the US wars in the Middle East, Africa, and now Ukraine. In addition, the refugee crisis may soon loom as the greatest danger in contemporary Europe.
Therefore, Europe should understand that as a strategic partner of the USA, it has willy-nilly been one side of endless wars of the USA; the wars which have resulted in an insecure atmosphere for Europe. However, there have been some European politicians who warned of the dangers of following the US policy and worked for an independent European foreign policy. For example, Willy Brandt with his “New Eastern Policy” knew that Europe should try to establish peaceful relations with Russia and Eastern European countries. In addition, François Mitterrand made a lot of efforts toward European independent defense so that at least the authority to fire nuclear missiles is given to Europe. However, “Strategic European Independence” has got nowhere, even the German Green Party, which was originally a pacifist movement, has turned into a warmongering party in the German Bundestag.
It is worth mentioning that American intervention in the internal politics and decisions of Europeans has even reached realms such as infrastructure projects or energy security. For example, the United States, as the self-proclaimed father of the world order, considers it its right to decide whether Europe is allowed to set up an energy supply line like Nord Stream 2 or not. This is while European countries don’t even have the possibility to question USA policies towards themselves and their neighbors, but they have to pay for the American policy of weakening Russia and curbing Beijing by jeopardizing their economy and energy security.
Now, what can make Europe more secure and turn it into a mediator of peace is the return of Russia to the European community as a member of the European-Eurasian Union. Rejection, isolation, insecurity, and blockade are all incentives for Moscow to continue the war in Ukraine until the use of nuclear weapons. Perhaps presenting an endogenous European peace plan and collective security with the logic that the security of one member is the security of other members, can prevent the third world war and the destruction of Europe and bring Europe closer to peace and strategic independence.
