By Li Wenhong
The Ukraine crisis is the result of great power rivalry and a profound manifestation of geopolitical security conflicts in Europe. Combing and analyzing the development process of the Ukraine crisis reveals significant differences in the perceptions of the relations with Russia between the US and Europe, resulting in distinct interests and demands.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US has consistently fueled the tense situation. It aims to achieve triple goals through the military conflict. Firstly, to exhaust and weaken Russia; secondly, to keep the US-led NATO alive and prevent it from "brain death"; thirdly, by supplying weapons and equipment to Ukraine, the US military-industrial complex can reap enormous profits.
It can be said that the US has become the sole winner in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, gaining significant benefits in various aspects including politics, economy, and military. Europe, under the influence of the US, has been consistently providing more military equipment to Ukraine. However, there are notable differences between Europe and the US in terms of their demands and objectives regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict persists, Europe's energy security has become increasingly fragile, economic challenges have become more serious, and social contradictions have become more complex. More and more Europeans are hoping for a prompt end to the Russia-Ukraine military conflict.
The trajectory from the comprehensive escalation of the Ukrainian crisis also reflects the differing demands between the US and Europe.
Russia is Europe's neighbor that cannot move, and European countries like Germany and France do not wish for the Russia-Ukraine conflict to escalate indefinitely. For instance, around the time of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Germany attempted to mediate the conflict between the two sides.
In contrast to the conciliatory efforts of European leaders to prevent an escalation, the US government, disregarding the peace efforts of Germany and France, spared no effort in heightening the atmosphere of tension. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, European countries like France and Germany recognized that rebuilding the European security order cannot be achieved without Russia's involvement. Thus, the "old Europe" represented by France and Germany sought to avoid direct confrontation with Russia. However, the US was engrossed in Cold War mentality and great power rivalry, viewing the Russia-Ukraine conflict as an opportunity to contain and weaken Russia. The US continued to supply weaponry to Ukraine and deployed missile launchers in Eastern Europe using anti-Russia sentiment, aiming to profit from the chaos.
Many Europeans are now beginning to reconsider whether dancing to the American tune aligns with their own interests.
In November 2022, Josep Piqué, former Spanish foreign minister, wrote in the country's Diplomacia magazine, highlighting the decisive role played by the US in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He stated that Europeans should ask themselves some questions. Should they let the Americans decide the course of the conflict? Should their peace and prosperity be subject to American interests or arrogance? Does it make sense for Europe to bear the consequences? In January 2023, Sahra Wagenknecht, a member of the German Bundestag, expressed that the US is far from the battlefield, but the stakes for Europe are extremely high. So they should seek diplomatic solutions.
While the Russia-Ukraine conflict temporarily overshadowed certain differences in Europe-US relations, the evolution of the international situation suggests that various contradictions and divergences between them might become more apparent. As for whether the US truly stands as Europe's "ironclad ally," whether its actions align with the positioning of an allied relationship, whether it serves European interests or those of a community of shared values, or whether it primarily serves its own interests, the answers seem self-evident.
(The author is a professor at the School of German Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University.)
Editor's note: Originally published on huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
