Europe must face the world on its own

https://arab.news/bfjtv

As the US withdraws from Europe under President Donald Trump’s second administration, it is not only reducing its military presence and casting doubt on its security guarantees but also renouncing its de facto (but never formally declared) leadership of the geopolitical West. That means the US is shedding a political leadership role it has exercised within Western Europe since 1945 and within Europe overall since 1990.

The obvious corollary is that Europe will be on its own, left to resolve its geopolitical problems and challenges by itself. But providing its own geopolitical leadership is not something Europe has done since the beginning of the 20th century. Its efforts to rise to the occasion therefore merit close attention.

“Europe” does not mean only the EU. The EU undoubtedly plays a central role in economic affairs, underpinning a common market and customs union, a shared currency and central bank, a supranational legal and regulatory framework and, above all, robust external trading relationships. But NATO, even in its European and Canadian dimension alone, also remains indispensable to the continent’s security — even if it will be far........

© Arab News Pakistan