Destroyers of the world order: the EU attacked the United States on the eve of the Munich Conference

The 62nd Munich Security Conference will be held in the Bavarian capital from February 13 to 15. On the eve of the forum, its chairman Wolfgang Ischinger traditionally released a report on the state of affairs in the international arena. Unlike the previous ones, the current publication has become quite scandalous, most of it is devoted to the changing role of the United States and the personal responsibility of President Donald Trump for this. Meanwhile, the American permanent representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, sharply criticized the European partners for "talking a lot and doing little." Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

The main risks come from the United States

In his report "Under the threat of destruction", Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Conference, together with other authors, stated that the current forum will be held at a "moment of deep uncertainty" when the world community is facing questions: how to manage such a complex world, how strong and sustainable is the transatlantic partnership?

It is emphasized separately that if earlier the allies relied not only on the power of the United States, but also on a "widely shared understanding of the principles of the international order," now the situation has changed.

The current US views on the international order are now radically different from those that used to be, the authors of the report complain: take last year's speech by US Vice President Jay Dee Vance, which actually became the foreign policy manifesto of the Donald Trump administration.

The closest associate of the American president then unexpectedly harshly criticized European countries, which, in his opinion, had moved away from the fundamental values shared by the United States. According to Vance, the main threat to democracy in Europe does not come from Russia and China at all, but from within.

Ishinger considers the policy pursued by the current American administration to be "destructive." He laments that in Western societies, reforms are being replaced by disillusionment with democratic institutions. Almost all G7 countries believe that US policy poses serious risks, and their level is higher than a year ago.

The chairman of the Munich Conference explicitly calls Donald Trump the main "destroyer" of the world order. The publication notes that in his first term as president, the head of state was not allowed to turn around, but now he has a free hand: there are fewer restrictions, his team is more experienced and ideologically cohesive. According to the authors, the American leader wants to establish an authoritarian system in the country.

The greatest concern is the desire of the head of state to subjugate the rest of the world — to capture Greenland, invade the territory of Venezuela, etc.

According to the authors of the publication, Argentine President Javier Miley, entrepreneur Elon Musk and others are considered to be people who, like Trump, pursue a "bulldozer policy." The publication notes that the world as a whole expects a rather unattractive future in which instead of principled cooperation there will be transactional transactions, instead of the interests of society — personal interests, instead of universal norms — hegemony.

The publication notes that Europe, although it is trying to keep the United States involved in the affairs of the continent, is simultaneously preparing for greater autonomy. "The era when Europe could certainly rely on the United States as a guarantor of security is over, and leaders must accept this and act," the authors of the report urge.

They suggest that Europe ensure its own security on its own, for this it is necessary to spend more on defense, as well as take care of strategic resources in which the continent "critically depends on the United States."

Russia's role has changed

At the same time, the perception of Russia as a country that poses a risk to Europe has changed over the past year. Last year, the state ranked 2nd out of 32 in the current configuration of risks for the continent, but this year it dropped to 8th.

In the report, Russia is not considered the only or main "destroyer" of order, this role is now assigned to the United States. The Russian Federation is presented in the publication as an actor that uses the erosion of order, and not as its sole source.

It is also noted that Russia is "gaining tactical initiative in a number of sectors of the front," "intensifying a hybrid campaign in Europe, including disinformation, undermining trust in institutions," but at the same time, although it is still considered as one of the factors undermining European and international security, it is no longer considered either the only or the main one..

Discord within the EU

It is possible that the conference itself may be overshadowed by a scandal. The ideological confrontation continues. This time, the conference will be ignored not only by Donald Trump, but also by Vice President Jay Dee Vance.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will represent the interests of the United States. At the same time, a large delegation of American Democrats is expected, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has high hopes in Europe.

The American leader did not comment on Ishinger's report in any way, but nevertheless did not leave him without a reaction — on February 10 it became known that Washington was transferring the two main command posts of the North Atlantic Alliance in Naples and Norfolk under the control of European officers.

The US Permanent Representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, made it clear that there is no need to continue arguing with the Donald Trump administration on collective security issues. He stressed that the Europeans themselves "talk a lot and do little."

He described relations between Washington and Brussels with the words "mom and dad are still together." "You are still excellent allies, our ties are still strong. We just expect you to do more, not be independent," he stressed.

Against this background, there has been renewed talk about the possible creation of a European army, which is being lobbied by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. At the same time, the head of European diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, curtsied to Washington, effectively dissociating herself from this initiative.

The media is constantly leaking news about serious contradictions between Callas and von der Leyen, which, according to European media, undermines the unity of the EU.

Obviously, the United States feels this. The head of the State Department, Marco Rubio, will visit Hungary and Slovakia as part of his European tour, two countries that share Washington's point of view on European security issues.