The days of Europe buying its energy from Russia, outsourcing its businesses to China and relying on the United States for its security are over. The European Union is only mortal and could very well be vanquished at the hands of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump or its own populist parties.
That was French President Emmanuel Macron’s warning at the Sorbonne on April 25. With great flair — and at great length — he issued a wake-up call to French citizens, and indeed to all Europeans. It is no exaggeration to say that Europe’s security, prosperity and culture are under threat.
With the zeal of a convert, Macron argues that the stakes in Ukraine include not only Ukrainians’ future but also the future of Europe: “The condition sine qua non for our security is that Russia does not win the war of aggression it is waging against Ukraine. This is imperative.” Even though the U.S. Congress has finally passed a supplemental aid bill for Ukraine (as well as Israel and Taiwan), Europeans must recognize that the U.S. has only two priorities: “America first, which is legitimate, and China.”
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