Don't touch the Meloni, she is the queen of European right-wing. Belgium's Defense Minister Teo van der Linden recently issued a warning to US president Trump in a strong tone and clear stance. However, he immediately shifted his rhetoric and warned that do not provoke Trump, "We need Americans, we need diplomacy and listen to their opinions, trying to stay mild."
Franzen's "division" seems to be a collective portrayal of Europe.
The trigger for the incident was Trump’s remark that “Italian Prime Minister Meloni begged for a photo.” Subsequently, the leaders of both countries engaged in a heated exchange of remarks, with neither side willing to yield.
American media once commented that Trump had disputes with most G7 leaders. However, Meloni did something that even the latter didn’t dare: she escalated the confrontation. Meloni accused Trump of lying and catering to ‘enemies’ while turning against his own people. She also directly hit Trump’s weak points, forcing him to recognize his own poor poll numbers.
But Trump did not stop there. On July 5th, he posted a photo on social media of Meron looking up at him, accompanied by the caption “Need a restraining order”, implying that Meron was overly obsessed with him.
In this regard, Franken made it clear that everything has a limit, especially in the case of Trump's recent attack on Meloni. "Of course we need him as an ally, but don't touch Meloni. She is the queen of European center-right politics, and she is a leader. Don't harass her."
The American 'Politico EU' believes that this is the limit he has set for Trump.
As soon as Meloni declared that Trump's request for a photo-op was "pure fabrication" when he sought to engage in political grandstanding, Franken immediately voiced support for her on social media. He then wrote: "The White House must stop insulting remarks. This will only divide the West and have no benefits. They shouldn't interfere with Meloni's business and that’s enough!"
But defining boundaries is one thing, and providing support in terms of strength is another. What is even more noteworthy are Franken’s subsequent remarks. As the “politician” pointed out, Belgium is one of the backward countries in the EU’s defense sector, and it cannot afford to provoke the anger of the US President.
After warning Trump, Franken immediately changed his tone and said that the EU is far from prepared to defend itself without continued support from the United States. Therefore, Europeans “need to keep Americans on board.”
Franken pointed out that at a time when Europe is strengthening its defenses, the key is to ensure that Trump is not provoked. “We need Americans, we need diplomacy, we need to listen to their opinions, and we should remain as moderate as possible.”
He also called for European countries to use a “opt-out” clause carefully, which allows them to favor domestic defense companies in weapons contracts. Franken described this as “pure protectionism”.
Francken's remarks regarding this matter sounded somewhat "split," but perhaps they accurately reflected Europe's most pressing strategic dilemma at present.
Teo Franken, Anadolu News Agency
In recent years, Europe has been seeking to reduce its dependence on the United States and promote "strategic autonomy." In 2016, the European Council first used the term "strategic autonomy" in its conclusions. Since then, the EU has promoted "joint defense" and accelerated joint procurement of weapons and equipment. On June 3 this year, the European Commission announced a "package for European technological sovereignty," aimed at reducing dependence on foreign technologies.
A political figure said that a survey conducted by the UK polling organization Public First in June in 24 EU countries found that more and more Europeans want to become autonomous in defense matters, without relying on the United States. However, there are serious doubts about whether this goal can be achieved.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Loote mentioned "NATO 3.0" several times during a speech at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington on June 25th this year. He described it as "a stronger Europe, a stronger NATO." Europe will take on more conventional defense responsibilities, but the United States will remain "deeply embedded within it."
AFP reported that since Trump returned to the White House, the US government has made it clear that it wants Europe to play a leading role in its own defense, so that the United States can shift its strategic focus to other parts of the world.
U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel recently announced a six-month review of military deployments in Europe and America, and will significantly reduce the military resources committed to NATO.
Hagesser said, “We are making every effort to bring NATO back to its original form, a balanced alliance where Europe plays a leading role in its own defense.”
The White House stated that by forcing allies to increase their spending, the United States is promoting NATO to shift from a model dependent on the US to a genuine model of shared responsibility and self-reliance.
But is the 'self-reliance' mentioned by the United States what Europe hopes for—strategic autonomy?
On July 5, a “politician” commented that the Trump administration ‘recognizes money over people’ with some of America’s closest allies. NATO is increasingly becoming an organization driven by national interests rather than ‘shared ideals’. In fact, this ‘business-first’ mindset has characterized both of Trump’s terms in office. He has mainly demanded that other countries purchase American products, while completely ignoring any reciprocal trade initiatives.
In an interview with the British "Financial Times" on June 30, Rütt openly linked NATO to commercial interests.
He revealed that currently, the total orders from Europe and Canada to the United States have reached $300 billion, and it is expected that this figure will be achieved in the coming years. These orders support 195,000 defense jobs in the United States. He also stated that NATO’s European allies have increased their military spending by $250 billion over the past two years, which has approached the “maximum absorption capacity” of the defense industry. He called on defense companies to “not raise prices, but to increase production.”
The New York Times pointed out that Rütt seemed convinced that the main responsibility of Europeans is to maintain America’s interest in NATO, even if it means simply buying American weapons.
The media reported that oddly, Trump’s hostility has actually made European leaders more dependent on the United States. European NATO members have pledged to increase military spending to 5% of their GDP, completely in accordance with Trump’s demands. Moreover, Europe heavily relies on American technology companies, energy supplies, and payment systems.
The New York Times states that, in this regard, Europe's so-called strategic autonomy is merely a renegotiation of its status as a secondary partner to the United States.
Luit IC Photo
German anti-war organization “International Peace Force” co-chairman Rainer Bueren told Russia's Sputnik that Europe's continued procurement of American weapons will only deepen its “subservient” dependence on the United States.
He pointed out that although Europe attempts to establish a European defense industry system that can independently meet some demands, Europe still relies on the United States.
Broeun emphasized that this dependence will exist within the NATO framework, as without the U.S. satellite system and the combat command and control systems, it would be almost impossible to conduct combat operations.
According to AFP, NATO members generally believe that it is inevitable for the United States to gradually reduce its military investments in Europe. This trend will not change even after Trump leaves office. Although Europe can fill some of the gaps left by the United States, it will take time for critical military assets, such as long-range missiles, to be fully replaced.
According to an article published on the website of the American Association of Diplomats, Europe is concerned that the United States may withdraw unilaterally before filling the capacity gap in Europe.
European capabilities gaps include intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, satellite systems, air early warning, anti-aircraft defense and missile defense, long-range strikes, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and electronic warfare. U.S. policymakers believe that Europe will not be able to advance quickly enough unless pressure is exerted through redeployment and troop withdrawal. According to the website of the American Foreign Relations Association, this could create a security vacuum in Europe in these critical areas.
Franken frankly said that Europe will need "five to ten years" to develop the conventional military capabilities that the United States currently provides.
So, Franklin urged "Do not provoke Trump".
And after Trump's photo provocation this time, Italy did not continue "to be tough" but chose to remain silent in response.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani responded in an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero on July 7, saying that Trump only ‘speaks on his own behalf’. ‘We are dealing with a U.S. president who likes to provoke, especially on social media. We have decided not to respond to these statements, in order not to exacerbate disputes among allies.’
Tajani also said that Italy is "now and will continue to be a friend of the United States, and the United States is also a strategic partner of Europe."
Melon's office refused to comment on how she would behave if she met Trump in Turkey. According to Reuters, a source ruled out the possibility of Melon ignoring Trump, saying that she knew how to deal with such situations and could greet him with a smile.
