BRUSSELS, December 1. /TASS/. European countries have been unable to take active steps to achieve their own interests, including in the situation with the Ukrainian conflict and in addressing economic problems, Politico reported.
According to the newspaper, the ongoing negotiations on the conflict in Ukraine — which European leaders deem "existential" for the EU — are taking place "with minimal input from the bloc." While others set the tone and direction, Europe continues to act reactively: "managing the fallout, limiting the damage and hoping to recuperate its influence," the newspaper noted.
"This marginalization isn’t the result of a single decision or down to one person — no matter how consequential US President Donald Trump may be. Rather, it reflects a deeper vulnerability and an unsettling pattern," Politico noted.
Anyone looking at Europe's choices in recent months will see a "psychology of weakness," the newspaper pointed out. Europe is indecisive and incapable of taking action, even when its key interests are at stake and political alternatives are within reach. "Europe is losing confidence, sinking into fatalism and justifying its passivity with the soothing thought that it has no real choice, as its cards are weak," Politico stated.
This psychology of EU weakness is also evident in the economic sphere, primarily in EU-US relations. The trade agreement concluded in July is a classic example of how weakness can be disguised as "pragmatism." Brussels had the tools to respond to Washington's tariffs and coercive measures. However, under pressure from member states that feared broader US withdrawal from ensuring European security and Ukraine, Brussels decided not to use them.
The result was a deal with a 15% unilateral tariff that violates World Trade Organization rules and obliges Europe to purchase energy and invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the US. Worst of all, the deal did not bring the stability that was touted as its main advantage, the newspaper added.