Britain, France and Germany, the three powerful countries in Europe, couldn’t even imagine remaining in Afghanistan for one minute after the US took its troops out of the country.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last week that the world couldn’t continue the war without US logistic and air support.
Johnson’s statement has two points: One, the military operation in Afghanistan was done at US demand and to support it; two, Europe is not able to continue the war on its own, as it lacks both security justification and required facility.
Europe’s concern over being left by the US began from Donald Trump term of office in the White House, but it wasn’t met even after Joe Biden took office. Biden finally performed what Trump said.
Europe’s participation in the fight against terrorism was aimed only at taking advantage of US support. They didn’t want to risk anything, but they cannot count on unquestionable support of the US anymore.
But now, Europeans are leaving Afghanistan and left US behind to take all responsibility for saving Afghan citizens who wish to exit the country as the Taliban took over the control.
Europeans and the G7 had said that they would do their best to save Afghan people and they had announced plans to take their military and diplomatic staff and Afghan people out of the country. However, after the suicide bombings on Thursday that killed over 175 people, it is not clear that if Europeans and NATO allies still have the same stance.
Still in struggle with the refugees of Syrian civil war in 2015, Europeans are concerned over a new wave of refugees this time from Afghanistan. This becomes even more urgent when taking into consideration the population of Afghanistan which is two times that of Syria.
NATO and allies who have spent 20 year in Afghanistan, now recommend Afghan people to avoid going to European states and go to neighboring countries if they want to escape.
Over 90 percent of 2.6 million Afghan refugees live in Pakistan and Iran, while only accepted 630,000 Afghan refugees have sought asylum in EU member states in the last decade.
Europeans never imagined that the US could violate what they call Western Values, as this was a premise in a considerable part of European foreign policy.
The short European honeymoon in Biden administration is over and the US has started to act to what Donald Trump was talking about.
On the other hand, forming a European army is impossible in the current situation, as Europeans see themselves in the middle of a cold war between US, Russia, and China; a war which is disastrous for Europe but benefits the declining economy of the United States.
This is the end of a geopolitical era which was meant to establish a liberal world order; a new era has begun which is summarized in the US-China competition, Director of European Council on Foreign Relations Marc Leonard said
Withdrawal from Afghanistan bespoke Europe’s lack of self-confidence, which is in the interest of China. Besides, Europeans worry that the US could quit Europe in a deal with Russia and China.
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