Washington Must Push European Strategic Autonomy Forward

The National Interest ^ | 3/17/24 | Alex Little

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Last month, Senator JD Vance (R-OH) flew to the Munich Security Conference attended by powerful European officials, including Volodymyr Zelensky. During his speech, Senator Vance delivered some tough love to his European audience about the necessity for Europe to take a more significant role in securing itself from external threats. In particular, he touched on Europe’s weakness despite their supposed concern over a Russian confrontation with NATO.

It’s very hard,” Vance stated. “The juxtaposition between the idea that Putin poses an existential threat to Europe, compared again against the fact that we’re trying to convince our allies to spend two percent of GDP. Those ideas are very much in tension. I do not think that Vladimir Putin is an existential threat to Europe and to the extent that he is, again, that suggests that Europe has to take a more aggressive role in its own security,” he said.

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“Vance’s rhetoric reflects his preference for realism and restraint. American power should be used decisively as needed but sparingly. Diplomacy should always be considered before resorting to military action. “

That Vance, he’s so misguided. Yes, we could have allowed this war to end when the Ukes negotiated a peace deal with Russia two years ago. But that negotiated peace effort was just as misguided as Vance is. Doesn’t Vance realize DC has borrowed over a hundred billion for Ukraine since then? Just look at all those U.S. jobs our children’s new debt has subsidized? Of course, those additional 300,000 dead Uke boys is a small price to pay for a couple thousand U.S. jobs and billions in additional MIC profits.