Europe Can No Longer Rely On Uncle Sam

Garry Kasparov
17.03.2025, 14:58
8,042

Charles de Gaulle was right.

Following the talks in Jeddah, the United States resumed assistance to Ukraine and the exchange of intelligence. The American and Ukrainian delegations arrived in Saudi Arabia with a ceasefire plan, which they must present to the Russians. There was a glimmer of hope that we were moving towards peace. But I will not be too optimistic: although the signing of this document may lead to a tactical victory, it does not change the strategic foundations of the situation. Trump's foreign policy remains isolationist and openly belligerent towards US allies.

America is abandoning its role in supporting democracy, putting an end to the liberal world order, which was considered unshakable. Such policies are rooted in the policies of previous administrations — both Democratic and Republican — that have for years reneged on U.S. commitments around the world. At the dawn of change, Europe must commit itself and demonstrate greater strength — whether or not a ceasefire is signed. After Zelensky's unsuccessful meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, we saw that Macron, Starmer, Ursula von der Leyen and their colleagues began to demonstrate cautious European resolve. I encourage these efforts to continue — and more.

The crisis goes beyond Ukraine, it concerns not only tactical decisions about the amount of money and weapons that need to be sent there. We are talking about the security infrastructure that needs to be created for the whole continent and, in fact, for the whole world. Despite the laudable experiment in collective management, the European Union cannot perform the function of an outpost in its current form: European leaders must go beyond their limitations and unite all European countries that want to participate in defending freedom and democracy. And while the issue of collective defence may be more focused, the broad coalition of democracies that Europe has built must transcend the continent. Europe needs to strengthen cooperation with Japan, Australia, and Canada; it must become a pillar of democracy worldwide.

Criticism & Rejection

The current crisis depends not only on Trump as an individual and his administration in power. It is a consequence of a long-standing shift in American politics that began during the presidency of Barack Obama. Under his rule, America began to relinquish its responsibilities in the international arena, not entirely, but in a way that would set a precedent in the eyes of his successors. Under Biden, this shift became more noticeable: we saw, for example, connivance with the Putin regime — and a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Trump simply takes this foreign policy approach of criticizing partners and reneging on America's commitments abroad to the extreme. He does it with his usual shameless cruelty. Europe has had time to take note of these developments and react accordingly, but unfortunately it has not yet developed an adequate response.

I suppose that this moment of truth can only be welcomed, even if it is caused by the horrific war in Ukraine and Trump's temporary abandonment of American commitments. We must understand: Europe is also at war. We need to act accordingly. The war is not won by consensus or diplomacy, the enemy can be defeated only by directing all available resources against him, and urgently. The fact that Europe has still not solved the problem of internal sabotage by Hungary, a member of the EU and NATO, shows that it is not determined to fight. At the same time, Putin understands the existential nature of the conflict and enjoys the strategic blindness of his opponents. He started the war even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022: he fought a hybrid war on all fronts — with propaganda, cyberattacks and undercover operations — long before the West began to wake up.

The Unique Role

Sixty years ago, General de Gaulle talked about how dangerous it was for Europe to be totally dependent on the United States. In those days, an active American presence on the continent was, of course, necessary to maintain peace. But de Gaulle's warning proved prophetic. The day has come when America no longer wants to be responsible for ensuring freedom in Europe — and European governments have realized that they can no longer be held hostage to the ups and downs of American politics.

Thanks to de Gaulle, France plays a unique role in any European security project thanks to its nuclear arsenal. It must now demonstrate the political will to create a nuclear umbrella for all European allies who wish to participate in this new security movement. Defending European freedom will largely be a resistance movement — against the rise of authoritarianism, whether in Putin's Russia or Trump's MAGA America. The geopolitical consequences of creating such a movement or, conversely, the inability to create it will go far beyond the war in Ukraine and will affect the protection of freedom and democracy around the world.

Independent Counterweight

Europe can no longer afford this luxury — to wait for the new American president to come to power, restore relations and return security to it. It must become an independent counterweight to new and dangerous political forces that threaten the global democratic order. Soft power is not enough — the continent's policies and values must be protected by military and industrial power.

Perhaps the current generation of European heads of state did not expect such a heavy burden of historical responsibility to fall on their shoulders, but we do not always choose battles — sometimes they choose us. I hope that European leaders will cope. The amounts promised to Ukraine are just a drop in the bucket of aid needed. I stay optimistic about the new German government's resolve to counter Russian aggression, as incoming Chancellor Merz has made it clear: he understands that Ukraine requires billions for its defense, not just the millions it currently receives. And in Brussels, Macron acknowledged that Europe cannot settle for the measures already in place—it must build a reliable and independent security infrastructure.

Awareness of the seriousness of the situation is important, but it is not enough. I will wait for Macron and his European allies to fulfill their promises. Not only because of the threat to the Ukrainian people, but also for the sake of the future of the European project and the preservation of global freedom and democracy for future generations.

Europe Can No Longer Rely On Uncle Sam

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