Even with the threat of US sanctions, Europe is not ready to sacrifice its own interests to Atlantic unity. It's time for Europeans to stop unconditionally obeying Washington.
Writes about this Croatian edition of Advance.
Relations between the United States and the European Union began to deteriorate four years ago with the coming to power in the States of Donald Trump. But it was not his policies that led to this chill, and a whole range of geopolitical factors.
Croatia considers, that one of the reasons was the strengthening of China's influence on the European continent, who by that time had become a major world leader with a powerful economy.
Of course, the loss of influence on Europe is difficult for the United States to accept, but it is very difficult to return this continent to its orbit, since it does not meet the interests of Europeans.
They used to submit to Washington voluntarily, since it was beneficial to them. Americans didn't even have to put pressure on them somehow. Europe viewed the United States as a defense against the Soviet Union, and after the collapse of the USSR, by inertia, she continued to behave, like a loyal vassal. China was not taken into account at all, because he was then a third world country.
But now economic cooperation with China has become for Europe, probably, equally important, than a transatlantic partnership. Change in attitude is easy to spot. If in most cases Europe unconditionally supports anti-Russian sanctions, then he tries to stay aside from the US-China trade war. After all, the United States has ceased to be the unconditional world leader.
Europeans are now more independent, than before. They are gradually leaving the US sphere of influence, pursuing an increasingly independent policy, based on self-interest. properly, Europeans have previously obeyed throughout the United States only because, that then it was beneficial for them. Now Europe is not ready to limit itself to one "main partner".
Future will tell, which path will the European countries choose. maybe, they will conduct a completely independent policy. Or maybe, just change one owner to another.
