The EU Wants To Win Over Trump

Published in Der Standard
(Austria) on 19 December 2024
by Thomas Mayer (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Mallory Matsumoto. Edited by Patricia Simoni.
With pragmatic politics, Europe’s governments would like to bring the future U.S. president to their side, end the war in Ukraine, and rehabilitate the economy.

The top priority for the European Union and its member states was obvious from reading the daily agenda for the EU summit. First, the war in Ukraine. Second, how to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025. Third, the government collapse in Syria and all its consequences for Middle Eastern policy and immigration.

The problem is that Trump has very different priorities. First, the U.S. Second, the U.S. Third, the rest of the world. So, future relations with Washington after Joe Biden are causing the worst headaches for the 27 heads of state. The U.S. is not only the most important ally when it comes to security. It is also the most important economically.

Too Weak on Their Own

Thus, Trump‘s course and trans-Atlantic cooperation will be decisive in determining whether Europe can maintain the prosperity, democracy and security it has known for decades. China has mutated from a partner to an opponent. Russia is openly and brutally seeking conflict. Global trade is becoming more uncomfortable.

On European territory, the EU partners are too weak to stop Russia‘s war against Ukraine on their own. For that reason, a very simple strategy was the subject of discussion at the EU summit. The EU partners in no way want to engage Trump in confrontation; instead, they want to win him over pragmatically to reach shared solutions — to the extent possible. A smart idea. Some are even secretly hoping that Trump could get Putin to agree to a cease-fire.


EU will Trump für sich gewinnen
Europas Regierungen möchten den künftigen US-Präsidenten mit pragmatischer Politik auf ihre Seite ziehen, den Krieg in der Ukraine beenden und die Wirtschaft sanieren


Was für die Europäische Union und ihre Mitgliedsstaaten oberste Priorität hat, ließ sich an der Tagesordnung des EU-Gipfels gut ablesen. Erstens: der Krieg in der Ukraine. Zweitens: wie 2025 mit US-Präsident Donald Trump umgehen? Drittens: der Umsturz in Syrien, mit allen Folgen für Nahostpolitik und Migration.
Das Problem dabei. Trump hat ganz andere Prioritäten. Erstens: die USA. Zweitens: die USA. Drittens: der Rest der Welt. Deshalb bereiten die künftigen Beziehungen zu Washington nach Joe Biden den 27 Staats- und Regierungschefs am meisten Kopfzerbrechen. Die USA sind nicht nur sicherheitspolitisch der wichtigste Bündnispartner. Sie sind es auch wirtschaftlich.
Allein zu schwach
Von Trumps Kurs und der transatlantischen Kooperation wird es also entscheidend abhängen, ob Europa Wohlstand, Demokratie und Sicherheit bewahren kann, wie wir das seit Jahrzehnten kennen. China mutierte vom Partner zum Gegner. Russland sucht offen und brutal die Konfrontation. Der Welthandel wird ungemütlicher.
Auf dem europäischen Boden sind die EU-Partner allein zu schwach, um den Krieg Russlands gegen die Ukraine zu stoppen. Beim EU-Gipfel wurde daher eine recht einfache Strategie debattiert. Die EU-Partner wollen mit Trump keinesfalls die Konfrontation suchen, sondern ihn pragmatisch für gemeinsame Lösungen gewinnen – soweit es eben geht. Eine kluge Einsicht. Insgeheim hoffen einige sogar, Trump könnte Putin zum Waffenstillstand bringen. (Thomas Mayer aus Brüssel, 19.12.2024)
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