Stay updated with breaking news from Common Foreign. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
When it comes to defense and military capability in the 21st century, it is clear that Europe is not pulling its weight. Spending and investment in defense across Europe has steadily declined since the end of the Cold War. The political will to deploy troops into harm’s way when it is in the national interest has all but evaporated for most EU countries.
According to Italian news agency, Hungarian officials blocked the release of the eighth tranche of EU military aid to Ukraine worth 500 million euros and reminded that European Peace Facility must maintain its "global" vision in the future.
The United States has a strong and continuing interest in a prosperous and stable Europe, but the policies and pronouncements of President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of State are making that goal less, not more, attainable.
There are moments in history when the Special Relationship really matters. The Falklands War, the Gulf War, the response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, the NATO-led operation against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan are prime examples. The world is a better and safer place when the United States and the United Kingdom stand together on the world stage, especially when confronting dangerous adversaries such as the increasingly aggressive and menacing tyranny in Tehran.
The European Union is pouring enormous amounts of money into the United States. Regular multimillion-dollar payments to individuals and organizations in the U.S. raise important questions over Brussels’ interference in U.S. political and social debates—including climate change, the death penalty, and membership of the International Criminal Court. It is also not possible to justify EU human rights budgets being spent in one of the world’s freest nations. The EU budget has become synonymous with profligacy, waste, fraud, and mismanagement. It is beyond time for EU member state governments...