The spectacular reconciliation between Trump and Putin, at the expense of Ukrainians, has stunned many commentators. European leaders feel abandoned by the world’s leading imperialist power.
Macron, who likes to think of himself as a key player in the game, is kicking up a fuss even though France is a lesser important world power. He claims that Russia is an existential threat to Europe and in so doing he is positioning himself as a war leader, ready to send troops to Ukraine and more importantly to double military spending.
In order to free up the extra 60 to 80 billion euros that will in fact fill the coffers of Thales, Dassault, and other arms dealers, Macron has been clear: "We will have to rethink our national priorities." In other words, the billions destined to increase the military budget will be taken from housing, schools, hospitals… The shift to a war economy will justify extending work hours, pushing back retirement age and cutting vacation days. Macron has already praised Denmark, where retirement age is set to be pushed back to 70 in order to finance the military.
And yet, all political parties—not least those on the left—immediately offered their support. Manuel Bompard (Unsubmissive France) is happy that "the president is using the term non-alignment" while Fabien Roussel (French Communist Party) insists that "France must make its voice heard." In the name of national sovereignty, these politicians are standing at attention and saluting the generals and arms manufacturers. They are already backing the call to national unity in preparation for war before it even happens.
European leaders are faced with America’s desire to dominate—which Trump has cynically and brutally made clear—and so they are trying to pass themselves off as defenders of democratic values. But this is hypocritical and deceitful posturing on their part.
From Africa to the Middle East, they have constantly divided up zones of influence between themselves, instigated wars, redrawn borders without any consideration for the peoples living there and supported dictators who served their interests, only to abandon them when they ceased to be useful.
If they are outraged that two gangsters, Trump and Putin, are making up to split Ukraine’s wealth, it is only because they are being left out of the loot. They will be deprived of access to valuable minerals, fertile farmland and the lucrative market of rebuilding a war-torn country. The relationship between the United States and European countries has always been one of unequal powers ruthlessly competing for control over market share.
The United States’ sudden policy shift on Ukraine has caught Europeans off guard. But Trump’s objective is the same as Biden’s was, that is to secure America’s power and dominance around the world. The means to achieve this hegemony change depending on shifts in the balance of power.
For three years, the United States has reaped multiple benefits from prolonging the war being fought with the lives of Ukrainians and Russians: they’ve sold massive amounts of weapons, tested them, gained control over the country’s resources and weakened Russian oligarchs. This war has allowed them to weaken European capitalists too, cutting them off from Russian gas and forcing them to restructure their markets.
If Trump is now abandoning Ukrainian leaders, it is not because he is crazy nor is it because he is under Putin’s influence, and it’s definitely not because he is adamant to bring peace to the world. It is because, after three years of war, American imperialism is making calculations.
With little change on the Ukrainian front and with the geopolitical shift going on in the Middle East due to Israeli military action, Trump and his gang now figure it’s convenient to make peace with Putin. They want him to endorse and participate in their global domination—just as the Kremlin has done many times before, in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
As alliances shift before our eyes and these gangsters engage in their power struggles, workers mustn’t rally behind statesmen or generals.
Whether they defend national sovereignty, a European defense force or maintaining an alliance with the United States, the politicians vying for power all agree on one thing: protecting the interests of capitalists. No matter which option they promote, we will be the ones to pay for it—first through financial sacrifices, then with our lives. Opposing the bloody future that capitalism is preparing for us begins right here, by refusing to back domestic politicians and the sacrifices they demand.
Nathalie Arthaud