According to NATO statistics, the total military expenditure expenditure of European member states this year will account for 2%of the total GDP (GDP), although there are still some Western European countries that have not met the standards.Seeing that the United States is lacking, European countries have even begun to discuss their own nuclear umbrellas, such as extending France's nuclear weapons, but the United States hopes that Europe will increase military expenses, but they are not happy to see the EU military autonomy.
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the Europeans thought that as the Soviet Communist system became a historical ashes, tanks and missiles could be put into the cold palace.Ten thousand.However, the past never passed, but it continued to exist in another form.The Cold War was the follow -up of the two wars. The Russian President Putin swallowed Crimea in 2014 to ring the alarm to Europe. Neighbors in the Nordic and Baltic countries near Russia began to work in military.But some Western European countries still deceive themselves, thinking that Putin will be satisfied with the Peninsula of the Black Sea.
After Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, Europe had to admit that the peace dividend after the Cold War had been exhausted.The expansion of the arsenal produced the shell that had been thought to be used again at night. Despite this, the European Union still did not refer to the promise to the 1 million shells in Ukraine in March this year.
Europeans who are accustomed to Chengping's small days have once again acknowledged the threat of war, not only Russia, but also the United States.Trump, who may return to the U.S. President, says that he will not protect allies who have not fulfilled national defense expenditure commitments, and even encourage Russia to "do whatever he wants."In 2017, the then German Chancellor Merkel said at the NATO and the Seventh Kingdom Group (G7) Summit and said to Trump: "The European Union must hold fate in her own hands."After all, it can repair the relationship between cross -Atlantic sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
But France has already learned that the problem is not Trump's personal style, but that the world structure has changed. The US diplomacy has changed to Indo -Pacific.With the conflict of the United States election every four years, you must follow your own way.However, in the past few years, European joint defense is still talking on paper.
In order to protect the fate of self -protection, the European Executive Committee announced the "European Defense Industry Strategy" in March this year.Avoid production and unified specifications.There are only one specification of the US tank, but there are 17 types of EU.In addition, the European Union also imitates the "foreign military sales system" (FMS), which is based on the US Department of Defense's foreign policy, hoping to enhance the competitiveness of EU weapons manufacturers' foreign sales.The major military fire in Europe has seen the European Union executive committee assist in sales, but the defense industry is closely related to national security. It is a sovereign tool that governments of various countries are still holding firmly and are unwilling to handle them to the European Union Commission.
Not a defense policy, but a defense industrial policy
Facing the aggressive Russia and the turbulent Middle East, the EU's defense industry must run with time.The Executive Committee also understands that 1.5 billion euros are spending on military expenditures. However, explaining that this is the incentive of throwing bricks. It is expected to promote the EU defense industry on the orbit. It is expected that 100 billion euros will be required.
Due to the government functions of national defense belonging to member states, so far, the European Union has launched a "defense industrial policy" rather than "defense policy".The EU integration takes the economy as the core. After many years of building a common market, finance, energy and telecommunications, there are still national barriers. Although it is said to be a huge market with a population of 450 million, it exceeds 340 million in the United States, but it cannot be formed comparable to the United States.The scale of funds not only limits the development of the densely funded defense industry, but also it is difficult to propose a similar number of astronomical numbers of the inflation bill (IRA) of the Biden -like reduction of the inflation bill (IRA) when revitalizing the economy.
As expected by the European Union Commission, although the financial common market has the support of the three major member states of Germany, France, and Italian, it is facing the rebound of the "tax avoidance paradise" country, and is worried that losing its existing market freedom and profits.When lacking money and lack of time, when the negotiations of 27 member states are abolished, the European Executive Committee must also be careful not to offend the NATO in Europe to defend Europe's security. Although Trump has repeatedly threatened to be the president of the United States, he will consider withdrawing from NATO.Feng Delin, chairman of the Executive Committee, explained that "the EU must have its own sovereignty, but the EU sovereignty will not let friends pay the price, nor will it affect the importance of NATO and the needs of NATO."
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has not dreamed of drunk dreams.According to the analysis of the French think tank IRIS, from June 2022 to June 2023, the military expenditure of EU countries reached 75 billion euros, which was much higher than 52 billion euros in 2021.Among them, 80 % of them entered American pockets, including expensive F35 fighters in Germany.In other words, the US arms dealers have issued war wealth in the Russian and Ukraine War, and allowed the future parts of European weapons to be locked into the United States specifications; and European procurement is mostly available equipment or consumables. For long -term military preparations and weaponsProduction, limited help.
The United States is not happy to see the EU military autonomy
Compared with the EU's bull steps, the United States is neat. Using the fear of neighbors of Russia to promote the long -term neutral Finland and Sweden to join NATO, sign a bilateral defense agreement with the three small countries of the Nordic countries and the Baltic Sea to facilitate the U.S. military in these countries.Training the army quickly deployed personnel and weapons during the emergency, and was able to move cross -border.Climate change has led to the rapid melting of the Arctic, which allows the United States to control the new front line against Russia.
According to NATO statistics, the total military expenditure of European member states this year will account for 2%of the total GDP (GDP), although there are still some Western European countries that have not met the standards.Seeing that the United States is lacking, European countries have even begun to discuss their own nuclear umbrellas, such as extending France's nuclear weapons, but the United States hopes that Europe will increase military expenses, but they are not happy to see the EU military autonomy.When Trump visited France in 2018, he scolded French President Macron to insult people.Trump's thick -rate words appear abrupt in diplomatic occasions, but he frankly said the idea of the United States.His EU ambassador Sandlan also warned that if the European Union restricts the United States' military plans to participate in Europe, it will be retaliated.
Putin's force on Ukraine has accelerated the collapse of the world balanced world balance; after the Middle East conflict in Gaza, Iran moved to the stage from the shadow war against Israel for decades, as well as the United States's primary opponents in China frequently.A strong and capable EU, it is good for the United States, keeping around Europe, so that the United States can focus more on India.
The author is a Taiwanese journalist and a doctor of sociology living in Italy
