Western media: Afghanistan issues brought three lessons to the EU

The Spanish "World News" website published an article entitled "Three lessons of the European Union" on August 14, the author is Maria Sona. The full text is as follows:

Taliban has been in power in Afghanistan for a year, and Europe still learn lessons from Afghanistan issues, and seek strategic autonomy in the turbulent and unpredictable world.

"Sometimes some events catalyzed history and promoted breakthroughs. I think Afghanistan is one of them." Hesep Berry, a senior representative of the EU diplomacy and security policy, made such an analysis after a few days after falling into the Taliban regime in Kabul. In August 2021, the United States and NATO evacuated this Central Asian country globally.

The rushing and chaotic evacuation of Kabul Airport embarrassed the Europeans. They have no command or means to influence decision -making, and they are commanded by American soldiers, which are rising in the corridor of Brussels.

The relationship between the European Union and the United States has just begun to recover after being destroyed by Trump. The scars across Atlantic were still shocked. What Trump's actions in the White House made Europe began to realize the necessity of formulating common security and defense policies. "Europeans must hold fate in their own hands." Then German Chancellor Merkel emphasized. The arrival of Biden became a "oxygen cylinder" of Brussels.

The trend of developing the strategic autonomy independent of its traditional allies in the United States has already started in Brussels, but it was not until the withdrawal of Afghanistan that the EU began to fix the abstract concepts so far, such as proposing an action plan called the "Strategic Companion". Having your own agenda to defend your own interests -not subject to the interests of the United States -is the first lesson that the EU has absorbed on the Afghanistan issue.

However, the ambitions of diplomacy, security and national defense policies are always running counter to reality. The structure of European projects makes these complicated integration. The EU creators such as Jean Moone have long dreamed of establishing an EU with their own security and defense system. But after decades, several factors continued to hinder the realization of this dream. The consistent rules in foreign decisions weakened the EU. When a member country's power on its border or security is made concessions, it will be very suspicious. In addition, each of the 27th is the result of different historical experience, so their interpretation of future threats is different. Lack of common worldview is the biggest constraint.

For these reasons, the EU has been relatively comfortable under the shelter in the United States. In the past 50 years, member states have experienced the process of non -military affairs and military expenses. Now trying to get rid of the United States' fingers is the second lesson from the European Union. But countries like Poland or Estonia still defend the status quo, because they feel safer under the shelter of the United States and can be exempted from the threat of neighboring Russia.

The third lesson that Europeans sucked from Afghanistan are what tasks they are willing to perform and what goals they are willing to perform. The stains formed in the history of Afghanistan in NATO were exactly one of NATO's withdrawal from the country without achieving its main goals -laid the foundation for a democratic, governable and stable country.

Seven months after Afghanistan fell into the Taliban's hands, Russia and Ukraine broke out. This conflict has always been another catalytic factor in the interest of the EU's development of the world's major participants. "We have witnessed the birth of geopolitics Europe." Berry said a few days after the conflict broke out.

The return of the war to the old continent has reappeared the difficulties, contradictions, and challenges that Afghanistan issues brought to Europeans. With the development of conflict, Europe has stepped back in the process of independence in the United States, which is too consistent with the White House's policy to Kyiv, making the scene unsightly. Berrely took over the European diplomacy in 2019. A chaotic withdrawal, a big popularity and a conflict made him have to bear the mission three years ago: the EU can make his own strong voice.

Produced | Chen Peng

Review | Sun Peng

Edit | Dong Lei

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