Between Trump and Putin: is Europe's role shrinking?
Since the summit meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, there is growing concern among Europeans that the outcome of the war in Ukraine will be decided solely by Washington and Moscow. Commentators see Europe on the sidelines in other areas too, and ask how much geopolitical clout the continent has.
Passivity disguised as pragmatism
La Vanguardia paints a picture of weakness:
“The three major crises that the world is currently experiencing have one thing in common: the irrelevance of the role Europe is playing in them. Neither in the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip nor in the tariffs conflict has the Old Continent been able to present a convincing and united front. ... Europe is confining itself to a role somewhere between dependence and servile admiration in the guise of pragmatism. Trapped between its rhetoric and its passivity, it seems to have lost its soft power. ... Its diplomatic incoherence and strategic weakness are dragging it towards insignificance on the new geopolitical stage, and its role in the world seems to be gradually disappearing.”
Collective kowtowing
Europe has lapsed into a state of submissiveness, writes political scientist Gintas Karalius in LRT:
“Public humiliation and constant pandering to Trump have become Europe's political fashion statement this summer. Cheap excuses such as 'it could have been worse' and claims that this is merely a 'temporary evil' can hardly justify such collective kowtowing. The risks of permanent public humiliation are obvious: those who offer themselves up as doormats to a despot invite others to wipe their feet on them too. On top of this, you have the often underestimated demoralising impact of such kowtowing on European societies.”
A giant with feet of clay
Political scientist Máriam Martínez-Bascuñán comments in El País:
“Europe, an economic superpower with 450 million inhabitants and the world's largest single market, needs to act as a bloc if it wants Trump to take it seriously. ... The tragedy is not the momentary humiliation, but what it reveals. ... Our leaders are domestic politicians who lack a geopolitical vision. ... And the European structures are designed for economic governance, not for geopolitics. The unanimity principle allows people like Orbán to block crucial decisions. And the absence of a real executive turns every crisis into a 27-way negotiation. Without reforms allowing qualified majority decisions on foreign policy, we will remain an economic giant with geopolitical feet of clay.”
Symbolic gestures not enough
Europe must offer more than warm words when it comes to peace negotiations in Ukraine, former diplomat György Tatár stresses in Népszava:
“It is not at all certain that Europe will be invited to the next negotiations. ... Europe's leaders have not emphasised enough that they also want to take part in the next rounds of negotiations. ... The Europeans still haven't made it clear how they can contribute effectively to securing a ceasefire. Good intentions are not enough: they would also have to offer deterrence potential to ensure that the agreement is honoured. If these points are not worked out, Europe's participation will remain a symbolic gesture.”
Autonomy expensive but crucial
Under President Trump the US has undergone a brutal and blatant transformation from protector to exploiter, writes blog Damijan:
“European states have turned out to be losers as they are completely dependent on the US for military, technology and finance. ... China comes across as a benevolent protector for now, but that will soon change once other countries become completely dependent on it economically and technologically. The only sensible strategy is therefore to maximise strategic autonomy in key areas such as the military, technology, finance, food and energy supplies - even if it's more expensive this remains the only way to achieve long-term national security.”
Ukraine and the EU need each other to survive
Rapid accession to the EU would strengthen not only Ukraine but also the bloc itself, political analyst Miguel Baumgartner expounds in Expresso:
“Moscow and Washington are reshaping Europe's domestic politics, each in their own way. The result is an EU that risks becoming collateral damage in this war. Not only on the battlefield, but also at the ballot box and in parliaments. Ukraine's integration is crucial. It's not just a gesture of solidarity but an act of self-preservation. We must understand that without Kyiv at its heart, the EU could fall apart from within and fall victim to its own contradictions.”