Sunday, February 14, 2016

Europeans Are Beginning To Question President Obama's Commitment To The Continent

US Democratic presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, waves as he arrives to make a speech in front of the Victory Column in Berlin on July 24, 2008. Obama warned America could not quell violence in Afghanistan alone, and called on Europe for more troops and funding to defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. MICHAEL GOTTSCHALK/AFP/Getty Images

Josh Rogin, Bloomberg: Europe's Convinced U.S. Won't Solve Its Problems

Europe is facing a convergence of the worst crises since World War II, and the overwhelming consensus among officials and experts here is that the U.S. no longer has the will or the ability to play an influential role in solving them.

At the Munich Security Conference, the prime topics are the refugee crisis, the Syrian conflict, Russian aggression and the potential dissolution of the European Union's very structure. Top European leaders repeatedly lamented that 2015 saw all of Europe’s problems deepen, and unanimously predicted that in 2016 they would get even worse.

“The question of war and peace has returned to the continent,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the audience, indirectly referring to Russian military interventions. “We had thought that peace had returned to Europe for good."

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WNU Editor: And I recall how just a few years ago Europe was heralding the election of President Obama as a new era in U.S. - European relations. What a difference a few years can make.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Obama voted present 132 times as state senator.

When it comes to Europe now, he will vote present.

Of course we won't hear the word 'present' from his mouth.

That is what speech writers are for.

Unknown said...

Obama knows and cares so much about Europe.

It is why he went all out and learned Austrian.

Don Bacon said...

Europe, Germany and France, should have realized by now that US is out to screw them by its actions in Ukraine, on Iran, etc.

Joseph A. Lambert said...

No, to you all, fine sirs, it is time for Europe to create, maintain and fund their own military solutions. With the help of their friend across the Atlantic. The same goes for Canada and Pacific allies. They have not had the will or foresight to create matching and sustainable protection, always sipping on the teat of America. That ship has sailed, and Old Europe is drifting into Moscows sights. And they need a hug from Uncle Sam. But they have to get off the veranda, and get to the painful work ahead. Social programs must take a backseat for the time being on both sides of both ponds, and down under.