The future of the EU is 'in danger'.
The EU's outgoing top diplomat, Josep Borrell, expressed concern on November 25 that the bloc's future is threatened as it faces multiple crises simultaneously. He stressed that the EU can no longer rely on the United States for protection.
.jpg)
Borrell painted an alarming picture of the state of world affairs upon the release of his collection of speeches and essays entitled "Europe in Fire." He listed conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Africa as the main issues threatening global security.
"The events we have faced in recent months – unfortunately – have confirmed a previous diagnosis: Europe is in danger," Borrell wrote on the EU website. "Our geopolitical environment is deteriorating, and conflicts and crises are escalating right on our doorstep. From Ukraine to the Middle East, across the South Caucasus, the Horn of Africa, or the Sahel," he stressed. "All of this is happening against a backdrop where the US commitment to European security is becoming increasingly uncertain."
The EU diplomat argued that Washington's commitment "to the security of the whole of Europe has become more uncertain in the future," due to the possibility of Donald Trump's re-election. "Our prosperity and future cannot continue to depend on the mood of American voters in the Midwest every four years," Borrell warned, urging member states of the bloc to strengthen their own defenses.
He also stressed the existence of a "serious risk" that the Ukraine conflict "could help form an alliance of 'the rest against the West'." He pointed to the recent BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, and emphasized that such an alliance could also "realize" in the Sahel, with UN peacekeeping forces leaving Mali by the end of 2023.
BRICS was founded in 2006 by Russia, India, China, Brazil, and South Africa. Members of the group have refused to impose sanctions on Moscow in connection with the Ukraine conflict and continue to advocate for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Russia and China have strengthened economic ties in recent years, describing their relationship as a "strategic partnership." These two nuclear powers have also opposed the "unilateralism" of the US-led NATO alliance and have stated their desire to participate in shaping a more equitable model of international relations.