As far as resources and economic structure are concerned, Russia and Europe are more complementary than competitive. Yet, in reality, Russia seems to have been considered by Europe as an enemy, not only being guarded against by Central and Eastern European countries militarily but also being condemned and sanctioned by the EU over and over. But the root cause for all this enmity lies not in Russia or Europe themselves, but in the country on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
从资源和经济结构上来说，俄罗斯和欧洲之间的互补性远大于竞争性。然而实际上，俄罗斯却仿佛成了欧洲的“敌人”，不仅被中东欧国家在军事上防范和敌对，还遭到欧盟一次次谴责和制裁。究其原因，吹皱一池春水的狂风很多时候并非源于俄欧本身，而是来自于大西洋彼岸。
The US has a record of being the troublemaker. The Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project is a win-win, even multi-win energy cooperation plan, which can expand Russia’s natural gas export and increase its revenues and enable Central and Western European countries to access high-quality energy supply conveniently at a fair price. But the US worries that the project would strengthen Europe’s energy reliance on Russia，and worries even more that the strengthened economic ties between Russia and Europe would pave the way for their diplomatic reconciliation, thus changing the geopolitical situation in Europe and undermining America’s influence on its European allies. Therefore, Washington imposed rounds of sanctions on companies involved in the project, in defiance of international law, slowing down its schedule by force.
美国是搅局“惯犯”。“北溪-2”天然气管道项目，本是一项双赢甚至是多赢的能源合作计划，俄罗斯可以扩大天然气出口、增加经济收入；中西欧国家则能够以便捷方式和优惠价格获得高质量的能源供应。但美国担心该方案会强化欧洲对俄罗斯的能源依赖，更担心俄欧经济联系的加强为外交关系缓和提供更多机会，从而改变欧洲地缘政治生态，削弱美国对欧洲盟友的影响力。因此，美国不惜违反国际法，对参与工程建设的公司实施多轮制裁，迫使工程进度一再放缓。
The US is also good at driving wedges. Capitalizing on the historical feud and geopolitical divergences between Russia and its neighboring countries, Washington has fabricated the “Russia threat theory” to create tension and doubles down on that by supporting the anti-Russia military operations of some of the neighbors by enhancing military presence or selling weapons to them. For instance, it goaded the Ukrainian government to launch military attacks on the pro-Russian armed forces in East Ukraine, forcing Moscow to take countermeasures and intensify military deployments on its western border. This, in turn, pushes the Central and Eastern European countries to be more reliant on the US in security and eager to pledge allegiance by standing up against Moscow.
除了直接搅局，美国还不断挑拨离间。美国利用俄罗斯与周边部分国家历史上的恩怨和地缘政治上的分歧，不断制造“俄罗斯威胁论”。引发紧张态势之后，通过增加军事存在、军售等方式支持俄罗斯部分邻国的反俄军事行动，例如鼓动乌克兰政府对乌东地区亲俄武装进行军事打击，迫使俄罗斯以牙还牙，不断强化西部边境地区的军事部署。这又使得中东欧国家越发在安全上依赖美国，继续以对抗俄罗斯来向美国递交“投名状”。
After Joe Biden took office, the new administration has been actively enhancing its presence at Europe’s important multilateral activities to mend the cross-Atlantic relations, rally NATO allies around, and resume the “combat force” against Russia. Biden participated in the special online meeting of Munich Security Conference in February and then the EU Spring Summit in March via video connection, all aimed to tell the allies that “America is back”.
美国新一届政府上台以来，为修复跨大西洋关系，使北约团结在美国麾下，恢复对抗俄罗斯的“战斗力”，积极在欧洲的重要多边活动中“刷存在感”。美国总统拜登2月份参加慕尼黑安全会议线上特别会议，3月份又以视频方式参加欧盟春季峰会，都意在告诉盟友“美国回来了”。
Despite a seemingly different governing style, Biden has largely inherited his predecessor’s international strategy, sparing no effort to destroy global security and stability and drive wedges between other countries to benefit from their conflicts. At the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting held in Brussels in March, US Secretary of State Blinken attempted to rope in and manipulate the European allies. When meeting with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu , he made Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 system a vital topic, trying to test Turkey’s “loyalty” and boggle Russia-Turkey relations. He also issued a joint statement with Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, announcing their plan to cope with the challenge posed by Moscow jointly.
拜登政府看似在执政风格上与前任不同，实则很大程度上延续了美国的国际战略，在破坏国际安全稳定、挑拨他国关系方面肆意妄为，不遗余力地继续制造冲突、坐收渔利。美国国务卿布林肯3月份在布鲁塞尔参加北约外长会议时，就企图对欧洲盟友进行拉拢和操控。他在同土耳其外长恰武什奥卢会晤时，将土购买俄制S-400系统作为重要会晤议题，试探土耳其的“忠心”程度并试图破坏俄土关系；他还同欧盟外交和安全政策高级代表博雷利发表联合声明称，美欧将合作应对俄罗斯的“挑战行为”。
Europe sees through America’s intentions all too clearly. During a phone conversation with Russian President Putin on April 8, German Chancellor Merkel emphasized EU’s diplomatic independence, vowing that the union doesn’t want to be a tool of Russia-US confrontation, and she reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to regional stability and cooperation. Analysts pointed out that Washington wants to mend ties with the EU because it hopes to re-gain the wand and make Europe continue to play the pawn in its major-power competition. But it fails to notice that the EU aims to gain greater independence and international say, trying hard to become a more independent and influential pole. Their fundamentally different objectives keep the vile gale blowing from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean where it is.
对于美国的如意算盘，欧洲也看得很清楚。4月8日，德国总理默克尔在与普京通电话时强调了欧盟外交自主权，称其不愿成为俄美对抗的工具，并阐述了欧盟在稳定地区局势与合作上的立场。分析人士指出，美国希望与欧盟重修旧好，其实是为了重新获得领导权，让欧洲继续做其进行大国竞争的马前卒，但却没有意识到，欧盟希望争取更大的自主性和国际话语权，努力成为更加独立和有影响力的一极。这种目的上的根本分歧，让大西洋彼岸的狂风不再能顺利横穿欧洲。
Indeed, Rome was not built in one day. Thanks to long years of US trouble-making and discord-sowing, Europe and Russia are still at odds on the Crimea issue and the Alexei Navalny incident, and Russia is a powerful neighbor that won’t move for new European countries. For autonomy and development, European countries have to strike a balance between Washington and Moscow rather than being taken hostage in their tug-of-war. That’s the only way for the European continent to avoid falling into the old track and better deal with the American countercurrents.
当然，冰冻三尺非一日之寒。经过美国持续多年的搅局和挑拨，俄欧在克里米亚问题、纳瓦利内等事件上的分歧依然存在。对于新欧洲国家来说，俄罗斯则是一个搬不走的强大邻居。欧洲国家要想实现独立和发展，就需要在美俄之间寻求平衡，而不是成为美国和俄罗斯博弈的“人质”。惟其如此，欧洲大陆才能避免重蹈历史覆辙，更好地应对由美国搅动的波澜。
(The author is Li Shuyin, a researcher at the War Studies College of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese PLA.)
（李抒音，作者单位：军事科学院战争研究院）
