As the world’s largest aircraft carrier sails to the Middle East, the European Union drifts toward division instead of Western unity.
“Challenge.” “Fracture.” Those were the headline words across much of Europe following the Munich Security Conference. Commentators spoke with a certain self-satisfaction about a virtuous “Europe of Peace,” in contrast to the supposedly bellicose posture of U.S. President Donald Trump.
From the Financial Times to Spanish and French dailies, an old reflex resurfaced: Europe’s revival, we are told, will be built on distancing itself from Washington. Anti-Americanism, that familiar comfort, has once again become fashionable.
Yes, one may recall U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s sharp criticism a year ago, when he accused Europe of complacency and inertia. But it is intellectually dishonest to ignore that Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently softened the tone and reaffirmed the value of transatlantic cooperation. What matters now is not past rhetoric but present reality.