Friend or Foe?

President Donald Trump, the beloved child of radical conservatives from all over the world, met with his allies from NATO over just a couple of days, then with President Vladimir Putin, and then publicly revealed who, in his opinion, is a friend and who’s an enemy. It was the first time he called the European Union an enemy. It was also the first time he implied that he believes the Russians rather than his own country’s agencies.

Certainly, while speaking about his relations with the European Union, he was failed by his extremely big mouth. He later explained that what he meant was Europe’s particularly hostile activity in the field of commerce. Moreover, the EU wasn’t the only one he pointed out; Russia is also an enemy, but only with regard to a few matters, and apparently not with respect to intervening in American elections. China is also an enemy but only from an economical point of view (which doesn’t make them bad, just competitive).

But this entirely surprising speech makes us wonder. “Friend or Foe” is a traditional military label for a system that recognizes which aircraft belongs to an enemy and should be shot down. For the last 70 years, Europe has always been an American ally, despite numerous problems that demanded attention or tension generated from time to time. But since President Harry Truman, who in response to Stalin’s aggressive action announced a strategy to counter communism and later initiated the creation of NATO, there has been no doubt that despite their quarrels, the EU and U.S. are bound by unwavering friendship, based first and foremost on community of values and world view.

What has now happened that makes the American president want to “shoot down” his old friend? (By the way, this is not the first time Trump applauded Brexit. Trump offered the president of France “a better deal” if he would also be willing to leave the EU, as if Trump were an American car salesman trying to talk a customer into buying a car by giving him “a better deal.”) Is it really all about the commerce? European exports to the United States amount to $530 billion, while imports amount to $630 billion. The trade deficit is therefore considerable, but at the same time, it is four times smaller in comparison to American trade with China. What’s more, the Chinese are the ones disrespecting global rules on patents and intellectual property, in addition to having a closed market and artificially underpriced currency. Accusing the EU of commercial dishonesty is therefore absurd.

Let’s face it – Trump’s words can only be explained if we take Russian interests into consideration. Putin would love to see the European Union torn apart, as it is the only way for Russia to become the superpower on the European continent. I don’t want to guess why Trump says and does exactly that which would please his Russian friend. But without a doubt, whoever in Poland applauds that and dreams about the EU breaking down is an absolute idiot.