At the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a message to Beijing and the United States: “China is welcome, but what we need is more Chinese foreign investment in Europe, in key sectors,” he said.

This follows a similar pattern of European diplomacy. For two decades, European leaders dismissed warnings about Moscow’s intentions while deepening their economic dependence on Russian gas and oil. Now, as Paris courts Chinese investment in critical sectors of the French economy, the continent is walking the same path with Beijing.

Over the years, Western European leaders essentially excused growing Russian aggression. They pushed forward with their Russian energy dependence through projects such as Nord Stream II despite repeated warnings from Washington about strategic vulnerability. They blocked American attempts to expand NATO’s security umbrella to Ukraine. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Europe was in a bind. It needed energy, but it also needed to sanction Russia.........

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