ROME, February 18. /TASS/. The United States made it clear at the Munich Conference that America no longer wants to play big brother to Europe, distancing itself from any kind of leadership role on the continent, Tiberio Graziani, the president of the International Institute for Global Analyses Vision & Global Trends, told TASS. In his view, the Munich forum highlighted the inherent contradictions in transatlantic policy, as well as the weaknesses of the EU and its member states.
“The leading EU members with an anti-Russian stance continue to echo hackneyed cliches about bolstering European defenses and establishing a unified army. In reality, Europe is in a dire state, both in terms of political cohesion and industrial-economic growth. The new US Vice President, JD Vance, used the Munich platform to emphasize that America no longer sees the value in its leadership role in Europe as this, as this does not align with US priorities. In a sense, ‘a memorial prayer’ was recited at this conference for the European Union as we have known it,” the expert remarked.
He further noted that the “abridged” meeting in Paris, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to include a limited number of European leaders, merely underscored the deepening crisis and divisions not only in EU-US relations but also within the European Union itself. “The French leadership is unlikely to exert sufficient influence to reconcile, let alone ensure coexistence among, such divided EU members,” Graziani added.
Aldo Ferrari, the director of the Department of Russia, Caucasus, and Central Asia Studies at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) and a professor of Eurasian history at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, believes that the rift between the Donald Trump-led US and the EU is “even wider than previously imagined.”
“For the Europeans, this situation presents a dilemma: on one hand, it poses a significant challenge; on the other, it offers an opportunity for genuine political and military unity. Until now, Europe has relied heavily on the United States, operating under the assumption that their interests were aligned. However, an unprecedented divide has emerged,” the analyst remarked.
In his view, Europe faces a critical decision: to either acquiesce to Washington’s new regime, which is markedly different and somewhat adversarial to its predecessor, or to endeavor to fortify the EU’s autonomy from the US and actively safeguard its own interests.
