Picture this: Donald Rumsfeld, the former US Secretary of Defense, was asked by a Dutch reporter about Europe’s opposition to America’s potential war in the Middle East. Instead of answering the question directly, Rumsfeld decided to do a bit of roasting. He slyly gestured to Germany and France as the two countries leading the way in what he calls “old Europe.” Heck, who needs Europe’s opinion anyway, am I right? There are new members in NATO, people!
Let’s be honest though, Rumsfeld’s comment doesn’t exactly add up. Countries like Britain, Spain, and Italy were supporting the United States’ potential war while a number of governments in Eastern and Central Europe only said they would back the U.S. if it received a mandate from the Security Council. Spoiler alert: the Security Council didn’t give that stamp of approval.
The war in Iraq was a complete disaster, and Rumsfeld and his buddies just couldn’t get their heads around it, but despite the whole conflict being a massive shame for America, there is one thing that Rumsfeld is still known for. Back in 2002, he conjured up the ontological maze of “known knowns,” “known unknowns,” and “unknown unknowns” that left people more confused than ever before. Yeah, that’s right, Saddam Hussein was never plotting with Al-Qaeda to give them loads of illicit weaponry. It’s basically a “known known” at this point.
Although Rumsfeld’s argument about “old Europe” wasn’t really foolproof, the idea that the center of gravity is moving eastward can’t be ignored. Poland and Baltic states have shown utmost support for Ukraine while simultaneously being suspicious of any diplomatic moves made by President Vladimir Putin. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki even went so far as to declare that “Old Europe believed in an agreement with Russia, and old Europe failed, but there is a new Europe.” Ooh, spicy.
Although a lot of people agree with Morawiecki, others believe it’s a little more complicated. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “the center of Europe is moving eastward,” and the war in Ukraine has made many countries realize that they’re incredibly dependent on the United States for their security. So much for achieving “strategic autonomy,” eh, France?
Despite their concerns, many European leaders aren’t willing to link their foreign policy completely to America’s. They know vassalization wouldn’t be a very good look for them, especially when they’re trying to compete with other superpowers. French officials have spoken out against the overreaction to Emmanuel Macron’s comments, saying that he wasn’t trying to suggest that France or Europe was neutral in the US-China power struggle. At least leaders are trying to learn from history and not repeat the same mistakes twice.
Serious News: washingtonpost
