01 Viewpoint
US President Trump criticized Germany's arrears of NATO funding on Monday (15th) and plans to cut half of the US military in Germany, and at the same time approved the latter to take advantage of trade.In fact, since Trump took office, the internal contradictions across the Atlantic Ocean emerged, and the cracks have been solved by the non -Democratic presidential candidate Biden Biden.Therefore, in the United States to fade out of European affairs, its influence will gradually decrease in the future. Europe must also grasp the time and integrate the interior to survive between the two major powers of China and the United States when the world is in a multi -pole pattern.
Trump announced on Monday that because Germany failed to pay the defense budget required by NATO, the United States was going to reduce the number of U.S. military in Germany to 25,000.Although the White House has not yet explained details, this move is not just about 9,500 soldiers, but also means that the United States voluntarily abandon the European security pillar that has its own European war and the influence of foreign influence.On the other hand, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has a lot of reservations for Trump's criticism of Trump. Instead, we believe that the existence of the United States in Germany is not only crucial to Germany's security.And the security of the United States, especially for Europe, is also important.
But is Trump's remarks?According to statistics from foreign policy, as of the end of last year, there were only nine of the 28 members in NATO, including the US, Bulgaria, Greece, and Baltic military expenditures, which could meet the requirements of NATO's entry for 2%of GDP;Military expenses in Germany and Portugal are less than 2%, while Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg are less than 1%.In terms of equivalent exchange and contract spirit, Trump's criticism makes sense.
The value of the garrison
However, politics and military are not commodity transactions, and their gains and faults can be quantified.After World War II in the West, the influence of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe expanded. In 1949, it proposed to establish a military alliance to prevent the Communist forces from extending from the back door.Although it is stated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Covenant, the contracting countries have common defense responsibilities, but European countries borrow the US nuclear protection umbrellas, nor are they all allies who take stools. After allThe autonomy of autonomy and concentrate on developing the economy and integrating the international trade system led by the United States. Therefore, it is difficult to judge from the US gains and losses from a military perspective.
However, the strategic goals of European countries this century have gradually separated from the United States.Since NATO member states have lost the common scarecrow of the Soviet Union after the Cold War, the relationship between Russia and Europe, the heir to the freezing point due to the Crimean crisis, but the current European and Russian interaction is no ideological confrontation of your death.And many European countries have always relying on Russia's energy supply. This kind of interesting relationship between neither opposites nor as an allies can have been seen in Merkel's subtle attitude towards Putin.Furthermore, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, major differences in the United States and Europe also include the Iraqi War and the Iranian nuclear agreement. Therefore, Trump's charging amount is only to detonate the accumulated contradictions, which is not the initiator.
Interestingly, there is no dream of the same bed, not only Trump, but also French President Macron.In early November last year, Macron not only criticized the NATO righteousness of NATO in the interview with economists, and pointed out that Turkey and the United States were unwilling to coordinate with the allies in decision -making, but also doubted the collective defense clauses.Although Macron's evaluation of NATO is more aggressive than leaders such as Merkel and Trudeau, when the international pattern is moving towards polarity, the loyalty of the counterattack is the driving force for the change of the era opposite to Europe.Even though the United States wants to reduce the commitment of the world police, and withdrawing the troops or not, it is non -European, but this forces Europe to accelerate the development of permanent cooperation architecture (PESCO), build the European army, and hedge Huafu's unconnected foreign policy in recent yearsEssenceThis can make Europe find its autonomy and independent space in the positive and game of both competition and cooperation.
