Will Western Europe be able to stand on its own two feet?

“This year will not be easy for Western Europe, and it will have to grapple with a variety of insurmountable challenges.

 

Western Europe has not had a world-class armed force for more than 50 years – this is the result of a conscious decision not to develop defense capabilities and industry in the post-war years, but to arm itself minimally and entrust its security to the United States.

 

No matter how one tries to paint the decision in rosy colors, Europe has essentially decided to abandon an essential feature of both modern and ancient states – efforts to develop the ability to defend itself and repel aggressors, so that at critical moments it can try to determine its own destiny.

 

The decision to become a client of the United States (there is no other way to call this decision) had a variety of consequences, not the least of which was how the decision was viewed by both friends and enemies. In general, clients are not considered independent actors, no matter how hard they try to create such an appearance, because their weakness is all too obvious.

 

The United States has never tolerated hostile military alliances in its in the neighborhood. Expecting Russia to act differently was unwise and inconsistent with the reactions of powerful states in similar circumstances. Convinced that Washington would ensure its security, the EU decided to prioritize ensuring the well-being of its citizens, becoming an economic power and one of the richest regions in the world.

 

It was naive to think that the United States would always be a “good uncle” who would selflessly take care of the well-being of its nephews and nieces. Donald Trump has distanced himself from Europe very directly, but other US presidents would have also taken a similar direction, albeit more slowly, because why help and defend countries whose standard of living is no less.

 

European companies produce innovative products, especially in the fields of treatment of metabolic diseases (obesity and diabetes), advanced biological preparations and new generation medical treatments. For example, the Danish company Novo Nordisk has developed the first oral version of the weight loss drug Wegovy, which is a much more convenient alternative to injections and represents a major advance in the treatment of metabolic diseases. However, the EU does not have the equivalent of Silicon Valley in computing and artificial intelligence or Boston-Cambridge in biomedical technology and life sciences, and therefore plays a smaller role in promoting technological breakthroughs in today’s most important scientific sectors.

 

Even in the best of circumstances, Europe would struggle to compete with the economic giants of the United States and China. But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders gave in to Trump in July, agreeing to a deal that would impose a 15% base tariff on most European goods imported into the United States, while Washington would impose no tariffs at all. The EU has also pledged to invest $750 billion in U.S. energy products and another $600 billion in the United States overall. Funds began to flow to the West, although they were necessary for the development of EU industry.

 

This unilateral agreement is a clear capitulation of Brussels to Washington. The very circumstances of the agreement showed the imbalance of power. Ursula von der Leyen, like an obedient vassal, arrived at D. Trump’s golf course in Scotland. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, behaved similarly, as if forgetting that D. Trump is a guest in his country, not a ruler. U. von der Leyen even tried to call the capitulation a “historic agreement”.

 

D. Trump, who has a great nose for flattery, immediately realized that U. von der Leyen and K. Starmer lacked backbone, were not determined to defend Europe’s interests resolutely, and that the leaders of other countries were similarly disposed.

 

2025 The US has failed to slow China’s rise and has inadvertently encouraged its technology sector to seek and almost achieve full independence through its sanctions.

 

By imposing sanctions on China as mandated by the White House, Europe has been left in the worst position. It is increasingly being squeezed out of the lucrative Chinese market for its high-value goods, but it is deprived of generous subsidies and other benefits provided by the US inflation-reduction law.

 

Moreover, cheaper imports from China, including electric cars, are accelerating the EU’s deindustrialization.

 

In December 2025, Volkswagen stopped making cars at its Dresden plant. This was the first time in the company’s 88-year history that it has closed a manufacturing plant in Germany.

 

The EU is in an economic quandary. Some observers say the EU is in danger of going from being an industrial competitor to the US and China to a client, a source of capital and a technologically dependent junior partner. As mentioned, instead of using the capital to bolster their moribund industrial capacity, all 27 EU member states approved the July capitulation, although the European Parliament will still try to legislate some exceptions and exceptions.

 

Now, the capital needed by the EU economy must flow from Europe to the West, to the US, which is trying to force EU countries and companies to significantly increase their investments in the US economy at the expense of their own.”

 

Last time Western Europe did have a world-class armed force was WWII. The armed force was Germany’s Wehrmacht. This ended badly for Western Europe and the world. This is why the American goal to keep Western Europe militarily down was a reasonable choice. We will see what will happen next.

 

This statement reflects a common perspective linking Germany's powerful Wehrmacht in WWII to the devastation that followed, justifying post-war efforts to prevent a resurgent European military power, though the Wehrmacht's effectiveness waned significantly later in the war, and modern European defense relies on U.S.A. and collective security rather than individual dominance, creating a different strategic landscape than WWII. The post-war era saw Western Europe rebuild under U.S. protection via NATO.

 

Key Aspects of the Statement & Historical Context:

 

    World-Class Wehrmacht: The early Wehrmacht was militarily formidable, achieving rapid victories (e.g., France in 1940) through innovative tactics like combined arms and rapid tank movements, as noted in Quora.

    "Ended Badly": WWII's conclusion for Germany and Europe was catastrophic, marked by immense destruction, loss of life, and the horrors of the Holocaust, demonstrating the destructive potential of unchecked military power.

    American Goal: The U.S. aimed to prevent a repeat by fostering economic recovery (Marshall Plan) and collective security (NATO) in Western Europe, ensuring shared with America defense rather than individual European military dominance.