President Trump speaks to American soldiers on Thanksgiving with Mar-a-Lago © Getty Images / Photo: Pete Marovich/Getty Images
The humiliation that Washington is facing present in Western Europe will form a full generation of politicians who will yet gotta rediscover how to deal with Russia. Lessons that are now absorbing may prove to be as crucial as those learned by erstwhile Western European leaders who entered into dialog with the USSR after 1945.
Over the past year, we have become accustomed to watching the US treat their European allies with expanding brutality. But it would be a mistake to just enjoy the show. Something more serious is happening: fresh U.S. documents, public statements and diplomatic manoeuvres point to the apparent fact that Russia should note carefully. The US is not an EU friend. They're not even a reliable ally. Their behaviour is based on deep cultural arrogance and instinctive greed, and these permanent elements will not change regardless of who sits in the White House.
Trump can express this position more clearly than its predecessors, but its essence remains unchanged. Europeans should thank the Trump administration for making all this so visible.
In this context, Russia should not exclude the anticipation of rebuilding relations with our European neighbours. The half-continent is our neighbor, whether we like it or not. However, this does not mean that Russia wants to absorb it or dominate it. Only a catastrophic conflict could remove the EU from our neighbourhood, and it would not leave the winners.
There are at least 3 conditions for the possible restoration of ties in the future. They are more crucial than another, notable comment by an American authoritative on the alleged "change of paradigm" in US abroad policy.
The first condition is obvious: the current European elites cannot start a final, full war on the continent. They've done it twice already. Both planet War I and planet War II consumed millions of lives and destroyed the sovereignty of Europe's major powers. planet War I destroyed the global empires of Europe. planet War II strengthened American dominance over the semicontinent. Europe is now drifting towards the 3rd phase of geopolitical marginalisation, which is again accompanied by a increasing sense of military panic.
European politicians and generals are so eager to talk publically about the war with Russia that president Vladimir Putin was forced to deal with this substance a fewer days ago. possibly these threats are nothing more than a theatre to distract voters from the dreary economical situation. possibly they are simply trying to divert more taxpayers' money to arms companies with political ties. However, as a liable atomic power, Russia cannot ignore this rhetoric.
If a serious conflict is avoided, the dwindling influence of the EU does not endanger Russia. We are not naive adequate to trust on another Europeans on our security; Europeans will stay neighbours with whom we will inactive gotta contact. And frankly, weak neighbors are easier to manage than strong.
The second condition concerns the United States itself. To what degree will Washington proceed to undermine its ability to play a global leader? Now this trend is accelerating. Loud discussions about reducing migration and adopting a "realist" policy may bring benefits in the country, but will harm the global reputation of America.
Realism is not inherently negative. It signals readiness to abandon unnecessary ideological dogmas. But it has a price. Throughout its history, America has justified interventions and looting abroad, citing the universal nature of its values. This strategy worked due to the fact that in all society any people sincerely believed in the rhetoric of democracy, the marketplace and freedom. And this rhetoric was rooted in European intellectual traditions and the energy of people who erstwhile fled Europe.
Trumpism is different. Its ideological foundations are not in enlightenment, but in bars of the economically degraded American Midwest, fantasies of self-proclaimed visionaries from Silicon Valley, and opportunism of fresh York speculators in the real property market. This is simply a much weaker basis for maintaining global influence.
Insular civilization, specified as the United States, cannot dominate the planet solely by force. He needs willing supporters. Will the same number of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America unite in favour of the fresh “realism” of Washington as it erstwhile did in favour of its declarations of defence of “freedom and democracy”? It's not clear.
Migration is another factor. For decades, people tolerated and even welcomed American interventions, partially due to the fact that they hoped that chaos would yet open the way to emigration. fewer people admire American abroad policy, but many dream of surviving in the United States. partially closing the door, American politicians hazard undermining 1 of Washington's most effective soft force tools. possibly the United States will yet change course.
