As of writing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is still refusing to approve Poland and other countries’ requests to send German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Macron, and Scholz have consistently indulged in the “American dominance trope” as they refused to help Ukraine to win the war. They even refused to provide war leadership and sought to thread the war without being involved or invested fearing alienating Russia while saying repeatedly that ties with Putin could be normalised again once Russia stops its war in Ukraine.
While Macron and Scholz fiddled with their opportunistic calculations and remained concerned with the domestic electoral implications of their actions rather than the future of Europe as a whole, the eastern European flank remained exposed to bellicose Russian imperialism. Europe was left defenseless by its supposed leaders and the US filled this void by supporting Ukraine with the weapons it needed not to succumb to Russia’s dominance. Now, Ukraine needs weapons not to just resist Russia’s invasion but to win the war and regain its borders but it is Germany and France who are refusing to take the lead and provide the weapons that Ukraine needs.
Scholz and Macron cynically thought that by refusing to help Ukraine, they would assert their independence from the US and project themselves as autonomous European leaders, yet the result of their cynicism was the opposite: Europe is now more than ever dependent on the US for its security. Macron, the total imbecile, even pushed Europe to more dependency on the US for its gas supplies as he refused to involve France in a gas infrastructure project which would have seen increased imports of gas from north Africa flowing through the European grid from Spain. These idiotic acts would have been hilarious if they haven’t been tragic, yet here we are, looking up to the US to support our defense and our energy security because our European leaders are totally clueless, cynical, opportunistic, and even cruel.
The comments and the deception made by German SPD ministers and politicians on the Leopard tanks issue are appalling, to say the least. The tricks played by the Germans are disgustingly foul, such as insisting with the Americans to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine as a precedent when the Abrams tank is not even present in Europe! Kind of ironic when you don’t want the US to be Europe’s leader but then you beg it to lead you into battle. And count on Germany to sell tanks all over Europe only to tell you that you can not give them to your allies in times of war. After these events, anyone buying weapons from Germany can only be downright stupid and intentionally suicidal. Indeed, the US is now offering direct partnerships with EU countries on defense purchases and I have no doubt that EU states previously buying weapons from Germany will now buy more from the US instead.
The Germans have proved themselves to be cynical and sociopathic, opportunistic, selfish, and purely self-interested. Consistently throughout history, Germany has always been inward-looking, insular, and excessively nationalistic when it comes to engaging with other European countries in partnership. We don’t need to go much back in time. In 1991 Germany begged the European Union to consider East Germany an underdeveloped region so as to be eligible for funds originally aimed at the underdeveloped South. Germany wasn’t eligible for the programme of European development funds because its overall GDP and GNP figures were in the higher range but a concession was made so as to help German reconstruction after reunification. Then Germany chose not to offer any solidarity to Southern economies in the Euro-crisis of 2011. History once again repeats itself in 2022 when Germany ended up supporting Ukraine only thanks to huge pressure from the US and the coalition of European countries from the east and the north. Had Europe relied on Germany and France, Putin would have had his way, Ukraine would have become a vassal state of Russia and Putin would have been welcome to Europe on the red carpet. God bless America.
The result of Macron’s and Scholz’s failure to provide leadership has inevitably made Europe evermore dependent on the US and this dependence will increase until Europe will have proper leadership. There’s no hope for Europe with the socialists who still live in the romantic illusions of a past era long gone by. At this moment, Europe needs a liberal right that strengthens the European Union, and looks to enhance its collective security in terms of defense and energy while expanding its trade across the globe. We need the adults in the room.
Great article. Really interesting. Thank you.