Der Guardian meint Europas Reaktion auf den „America First“-Imperialismus: zu schwach, zu zaghaft
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/05/the-guardian-view-on-europes-response-to-america-first-imperialism-too-weak-too-timid
Von StemCellPirate
42 Kommentare
European leaders are regularly very cautious in their statements, and so their statements are often interpreted differently by various parties.
Was anyone actually shocked by the lack of response?
Right when Brit MoD sign a huge AI military deal with… Palantir.
Nice timing.
What response is expected? Starting a preventive war? Start throwing bullshit tantrums around and look stupid for saying things only to be on the polar opposite the next day? There was a statement from European leaders.
I’m actually glad that our politicians are not some dumb ass orange attention seekers and they are not talking with their asses in desperate need for attention.
Amazing how many people consider themselves Armchair Churchills who think they’re going to give Trump a bloody nose.
Didn’t the guardian just let the Iranian foreign minister just write a self-glazing op-ed about the regime?
The harsh reality is that the current structure in the EU and NATO is completely dysfunctional at protecting European interests – hopelessly slow and undecisive, and even those watered down plans that we do manage to agree on can be derailed by any populist government at any given point.
The harsh reality is that Europe’s nation states have become simply too irrelevant and weak to each continue with their own independent foreign policies. Our continent has turned into a global laughing stock and textbook case of bygone tribalism holding the continent hostage for way too long. We are losing out economically in most fields to USA and China, and we are unable to even resist threats on our own continent.
European countries can (and almost certainly will) continue to pretend of course to still matter but at best they can opt for a specific vasallage (some don’t even get that as they will be a target for other powers). Unless major reforms are made, Europe as a whole will be divided and conquered, in some shape or form, and will be weaker than ever.
Yet, mainstream politicians only seem to desperately cling to *status quo* at all costs, afraid of the alt-right coming to power, and offering no solutions whatsoever, other than endless attempts of trying to kick the can further down the road. Unfortunately, a giant wall is already visible, a dead-end.
My view on the Guardian’s response to Chinese imperialism: too weak too timid
I don’t agree with The Guardian
I’ll discuss with friends and consider writing a letter of complaint. If the situation doesn’t improve I might even send it.
As an European I was doing my small part in avoiding US products.
Until the EU surrendered to the US, what’s the point of avoiding Doritos and McDonald’s if EU leaders sign multi billion dollars agreement to buy US military goods.
What to answer ? We will move our non existent navy to defend the 2000 inhabitants of a full of ice island ? Out of ue and out of nato ?
The truth is, Its time for a navy, airplanes, lasers, star trek. You cant answer to a face punch , returning the other chic. The really good answer is stfu and start building. Its cold outside and if this happens, the war just started.
I truly hope that behind the scenes the EU is working on becoming independent from the US as much as is possible. No need to scream it from the rooftops, that’s what the orange buffoon responds to. Take it slow and easy, because an overnight breakup will only cause more harm then good, both in the short as in the long term. I believe every european leader knows that the US is lost and we need to build to an European Federation to stay a strong trade block.
I feel like the answer to all of these posts are the same:
* Bad shit happens! Why isn’t Europe doing anything?!
* *Because Europe can’t do anything*
* Why can’t Europe do anything?
* *Because Europe is a collection of small countries that don’t have the power or will of a united entity.*
* Why don’t we have that?
* *Because the members don’t want to cede their individual interests, finances, or sovereignty to make it happen.*
Either accept one set of trade offs and start pushing to federalize, or accept the other tradeoffs mean a inability to act.
Complaining / memeing about strongly worded letters on reddit for the 10,000th time is boring, and no different from what the EU is doing.
The Guardian is part of the problem.
The response from Europe has to be action – action in our own interests, to protect our security and freedoms. That means increasing military capabilities and production, establishing an independent foreign policy and all that. It does not include tough statements from a position of weakness.
I think the restraint the leaders globally are showing, is admirable and if they begin acting in the same manner, our Legal and Political systems will never recover from it. Europe, although united, is still 30+ individual nations and while i’ve always viewed the Guardian as a responsible and reliable source of news, i find their European takes tiresome. I’ve read the Guardian for 20+ years and in recent times, they overstate their importance in their analysis of the EU, as one, viewing from the outside in, sometimes can.
The UK is still reeling from the non committal response relating to the “Special Relationship” and i would like to see more analysis on what obstacles the UK has to climb over, if NATO ends.
I think many European politicians are hoping for the midterms and are trying to sit this one out or they are hoping that Trump will kick the bucket soon. They will be in for a rude awakening. There will be no comeback for democracy in America, and we better start acting accordingly.
Kinda true. Europe could only talk while US would action
This is obviously true.
However in its current shape, EU cannot do better.
The same guardian that is mealy-mouthed in critiques of Israel or the UK crackdown on free speech and Palestine action? That guardian?
I feel like the Centre-Left Media has the right idea, but draws the wrong consequences
International law was never in history dominating the internal decision-making of major powers. Its an ideal, not a political fact that the US just overcame by electing Trump.
This is not a question of *upholding* the rule of international law, but of *establishing* it. Europe (excluding Russia+Belarus) is the only large region that is in majority willing to subscribe to the ideal of paramount international law to the extent of giving up sovereignity. Doing so has not prevented Russia from attacking Ukraine, it has not prevented China from threatening nations in the SCS, it has not prevented Trump from attacking Venezuela, and it will not prevent China from attacking Taiwan, or Russia from attacking the EU.
Establishing a new governmental structure requires power and force, in multiple dimensions. However, the same centre-left media that demand the upholding of international law, also decry most projections of power that might make it happen.
Woild Europeans culturally dominate and thus are able to shape opinion, it would be called hegemonial, eurocentrist, neocolonial. Would Europeans use trade as a weapon to enforce compliance, it would be called the same. And the same for using military. Even when we just gear up, its criticized as warmongering.
We have, by now, spent decades urging the world to follow European beliefs without signalling neither the will to apply force to enforce international law, nor the will to reward nations playing along such that they are better off than others who don’t. Whenever we attempted that, successfully or not, we either had to be motivated to do so by the US (eg in the Balkans), or failed and had to be bailed out by US intervention (eg in Libya).
So, ultimately, we just *demand*. Why should others go along with our demands? And why should they believe that we know better, than everyone else in the world, with their own life experiences?
Making international law work means reshaping the world, reshaping the world means applying power, and we either have to acknowledge that, or we will have to continue to adapt to a world that will not magically europeanize itself.
Venezuela works as an example of this. EU nations rejected acknowledging Maduro. Did he care? Why should he? Even Repsol and Eni continued to be active in Venezuela, no criticism we ever said came with any consequence. EU nations now decry Trumps intervention against the same leader we don’t acknowledge. Did he care? Why should he? We will neither sanction the US, nor intervene to extract Maduro. Labour-voting British journalists believing they understand the world better than anyone else neither turned Maduro into a democrat, nor did it motivate Rubio to stop pushing the Trump admin to crush a hostile leadership.
Sometimes, I believe, the EU + non-US Anglosphere would actually do better by applying the post-Deng and pre-Xi Chinese geopolitical approach: Grow and bite your time. Sign trade deals, grow up your military, set up bases, set up exportable media so you can shape hearts and minds, and don’t preach before you are actually willing to struggle for your ideals. All this talk with no force behind it makes us look only weaker and diplomatically less relevant. Its propaganda in favor of our rivals made by ourselves. Its fine to be passive, but then it should also come with acceptance that the world will continue to develop, and different governments will seek their own paths to follow.
Edit: Btw, the Guardian let the Iranian foreign minister publish a hitpiece on Israel + USA on their page: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/30/iran-donald-trump-real-talks-both-win Which makes me wonder if the journalists at the Guardian truly want the global supremacy of international law, or not rather just use this argument to sow dissent within the west to weaken the western world. Why not let write Rubio an op-ed in the Guardidan praising the intervention in Venezuela, then? Iran is no more honoring international law, than the US. Iran supplied various armed irregular forces in multiple countries, even sent its own staff to train them, and fought in their favor. That’s the same behavior as the US applies. They are just far less successful.
Would have been better off saying nothing.
What would be a sufficiently strong message though?
A quote attributed to Shaw: « Never wrestle with a pig. They will drag you into the mud and beat you with experience ».
It may be because there’s no other choice, but I think being more tactful instead of brash is a better approach… especially if things can be done to prepare Europe for the future, even expedite this process. Some parts don’t even need to be public.
There is that « might makes right » strain of thought – does it necessarily have to be confined to military operations? It may be the easiest option for some, but I doubt it’s the only one.
Keep our heads on our shoulders, and continue to reduce the dependency on the pig, which the EU is already doing. I’m not sure how exactly things could be made go faster – there’s also the risks associated with cutting corners if that is done.
Europe too weak, too timid on US imperialism. ‘America First’ means Europe last – time to wake up
What alternatives are there?
lol, did europe stop being imperialist due to its moral awakening or its power project overshadowed by US and USSR?
britain, france, even minor nations like portugal tried to maintain its global presence after ww2 and they all failed miserably. now they want to fight against imperialism? this has to be april fools joke
From the article:Along with the United Nations, Europe has a duty to push back against the subjugation of international law to the whim of rogue superpowers policing their “spheres of influence”
Reeks of weakness…europe should be one of those powers establishing its sphere of influence in the world
europe has nothing to gain by threatening USA. They drew a red line and they can pull economic/diplomatic handles to impact USA.
eu market is huge and losing it will be a detriment to the people in power in the usa, the companies
With the amount of European oligarchs, financial institutions, and industry, with vested interests on the USA succeeding, it will never going to happen.
Europe is only brave against smaller / developing countries. Then it’s a champion of “human rights and democracy”.
I’m tired of this „EU weak“ hypocritical nonsense talk. Nobody in the world gave a fuck about Trump and the US when they repeatedly broke international law , and nobody cares about the opinion of the EU right now. What’s the point, the same tired strongly worded letter?
In fact nobody in the world did anything, ironically I only remember Russia calling the US out. Not even US citizens or their institutions managed a strong response. They need to dig themselves out of their own hole. And the EU needs to work on independence.
Among the many reasons why we’re not showing teeth, here’s one:
[https://www.ft.com/content/e39390cc-ea02-4197-843a-1e4c242422cc](https://www.ft.com/content/e39390cc-ea02-4197-843a-1e4c242422cc)
Summarises Europe.
„Presidents & Prime Ministers of Europe. The threat is clear. Russia intends to issue NATO a fait accompli by decades end, and it will challenge Europe when the United States has its back turned. We must invest in defence now.“
Europe: Yes yes, completely understand. Russia is the primary geopolitical threat of the century. And we cannot defend ourselves, meaningfully, without the United States. So we will do 3.5% on defence by 2035. You know, give us a good decade to get ready.
Part of the problem is that even basic logistics, like procuring material for the military is insanely hard. Any attempt for closer cooperation is fought tooth and nail by nationalists. Ironically many of them are almost fully funded and by external imperialist powers who want Europe and its nations weak so they can pick them off, one by one.
And that sums Europe up entirely.
The only silver lining is that if the Americans truly were in charge, they wouldn’t have had to resort to such military action against a banana republic.
Sure, the Americans have by far the strongest military in the world, but they’re starting to lose their ability to compel and get their way.
Trump is a dangerous narcissist, the strategy of being a ‚grey rock‘ is actually fairly reasonable.
It might not work or be enjoyable, but starting the attention of a malignant narcissist when you can’t match them for military power is a really risky strategy.
‘Biden’ time until they are far more isolated from the usofa! It seems most of the rest of the free democratic world is doing the same thing – nuclear arms for all!!
Funny. The Guardian was the newspaper pushing articles critical of Danish rule of Greenland when Trump first started demanding Greenland, pushing narratives about Danish racism against Inuit people of Greenland.
The Guardian can shut the fuck up – it doesn’t do news. It does propaganda.
I’m really really hoping that European leaders understand whats happening and are doing things behind the scenes, while publically pretending otherwise.
After Ukraine it is not surprising
The reality is that Europe is weak and unprepared for this new world where the ultimate argument is the military might. And when I say Europe I’m not referring to the EU necessarily but to the individual countries. After so many decades of prosperity, many forgot that there are also moments when you have to fight for it…
Bread and games ,ancient Roman method , Eu was silent and followoing what USA says almost 50 years . Fucking USA dont reconise the court in Hague for gods sake. I honestly hope that some day EU stands for laws and rispect