A New World Order – Art 4 Democracy

A Tragic and Grave Turning Point.

In a compelling address to the French Senate, Claude Malhuret sharply criticized the United States’ changing stance under former President Donald Trump, particularly regarding its policy towards Ukraine. The French politician highlighted the perceived retreat of the U.S. from its traditional role as a steadfast global protector, pointing to actions that suggest a faltering commitment to its allies and a potential embrace of adversarial tactics.

Malhuret’s speech underscored the urgent need for Europe to reassess its military and strategic autonomy in response to these shifts. He eloquently voiced concerns about Europe’s current dependency on U.S. military support, which he argued could no longer be relied upon as before. Malhuret accused Trump of abandoning Ukraine, a key ally, thereby threatening European security and the broader international order established post-World War II.

The speech calls for a strategic reevaluation and strengthening of European defense mechanisms, urging European nations to forge a path towards greater independence in defense matters. This would involve not only increasing military spending but also harmonizing defense systems across the continent and accelerating strategic partnerships within the EU and with other allies.

Malhuret’s forceful rhetoric serves as a wake-up call to European leaders, suggesting that the survival of Ukraine and the future of Europe are now in their hands. This pivotal moment, as described by Malhuret, necessitates a robust European response to ensure the continent can defend its interests and values, irrespective of shifting alliances elsewhere.

His speech could mark a significant turning point for European defense policies if other leaders echo his sentiments and begin to realign their foreign and defense strategies to adapt to the changing geopolitical landscape. This call to action highlights the necessity for Europe to become a self-reliant military power once again, capable of defending its sovereignty and maintaining stability in the region.

Transcript translated into English:

Ai generated translation: “Ladies and Gentlemen, Europe is at a critical juncture in its history. The American shield is slipping away; Ukraine risks being abandoned, and Russia is strengthened. Washington has become Nero’s court, with an emperor who fans flames, submissive courtiers, and a ketamine-addled jester purging the civil service. It’s a tragedy for the free world, but primarily for the United States. Trump’s message is clear: being an ally is futile since he will not defend you, will impose more tariffs than on his enemies, and will threaten to seize your territories while supporting the dictatorships invading you.

The ‘king of deals’ is showing his art of the deal by thinking he can intimidate China by capitulating to Putin. Xi Jinping, seeing such a debacle, is undoubtedly accelerating preparations for the invasion of Taiwan. Never in history has a U.S. President surrendered to an enemy, supported an aggressor against an ally, or trampled on the U.S. Constitution this way, taking illegal executive actions, dismissing judges who could stop him, and firing military chiefs en masse, weakening checks and balances, and taking control of social media.

This is not a drift; it’s the beginning of a confiscation of democracy. Remember, it took only one month, three weeks, and two days to overthrow the Weimar Republic. I trust in the robustness of American democracy, and the country is already protesting, but in one month, Trump has done more harm to America than in four years of his last presidency. We were at war against a dictator; now we fight against a dictator supported by a traitor. Just eight days ago, as Trump was secretly negotiating with Macron at the White House, the U.S. voted at the UN with Russia and North Korea against the Europeans, demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops. Two days later, in the Oval Office, Trump, before lecturing war hero Zelensky on morals and strategy and dismissing him like a stable boy, commanded him to submit or resign. This further step into infamy involved stopping the delivery of arms, previously promised.

What should be done in the face of this betrayal? The answer is simple: confront it, and first, do not be mistaken: Ukraine’s defeat would be Europe’s defeat. The Netherlands, Georgia, and Moldova are already on the list. Putin’s goal is a return to Yalta, where half the continent was ceded to Stalin. Southern countries are waiting for the outcome of the conflict to decide whether to continue respecting Europe or feel free to trample it.

What Putin wants is the end of the order established by the United States and its allies 80 years ago, with the principal ban on acquiring territories by force. This idea is at the very heart of the UN, where today, the Americans vote in favor of the aggressor and against the aggressed because Trump’s vision aligns with Putin’s: a return to spheres of influence, the great powers dictating the fate of small countries. ‘Greenland, Panama, and Canada for me; Ukraine, the Baltic States, and Eastern Europe for you; Taiwan and the South China Sea for him.’

This is called ‘diplomatic realism’ at oligarchs’ gatherings in Mar-a-Lago. We are alone, but the notion that we cannot resist Putin is false. Contrary to Kremlin propaganda, Russia is struggling. In three years, the so-called second-largest army in the world has only managed to snatch crumbs from a country three times less populous. Interest rates at 25%, the collapse of currency and gold reserves, and a demographic implosion show that it is on the brink of bankruptcy.

The American boost to Putin is the greatest strategic error ever made during a war. The shock is violent, but it has a virtue: Europeans are waking from denial. They realized in one day in Munich that the survival of Ukraine and the future of Europe are in their hands, and they have three imperatives: accelerate military aid to Ukraine to compensate for the American withdrawal, ensure its presence, and that of Europe in all negotiations.

This will be costly, and we must end the taboo on using frozen Russian assets, bypass Moscow’s accomplices inside Europe through a coalition of willing countries, with the United Kingdom, of course. Any agreement must be accompanied by the return of kidnapped children, prisoners, and absolute security guarantees. After Budapest, Georgia, and Minsk, we know the worth of agreements with Putin. These guarantees require sufficient military force to prevent a new invasion. Finally, and most urgently because it will take the most time, we must rebuild European defense, neglected in favor of the American umbrella since 1945 and abandoned since the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is a Herculean task, but its success or failure will be judged in history books. Today’s leaders of democratic Europe are judged. Fredrich Merers just declared that

Europe needs its own military alliance, acknowledging that France was right for decades in advocating for strategic autonomy. It remains to be built. We must invest massively, strengthen the European Defense Fund outside the Maastricht debt criteria, harmonize weapon and ammunition systems, and accelerate Ukraine’s entry into the Union, which today has the largest army in Europe. We must rethink the place and conditions of nuclear deterrence based on French and British capabilities, relaunch missile shield and satellite programs. The plan announced yesterday by Ursula von der Leyen is a very good start, and much more will be needed. Europe will only become a military power again by becoming an industrial power again. In short, we must implement the Draghi report for good.

But the real rearmament of Europe is its moral rearmament. We must convince public opinion in the face of war weariness and fear, especially in the face of Putin’s accomplices, the far-right, and the far-left, who again argued yesterday in the National Assembly, Mr. Prime Minister, against European unity and defense. They claim they want peace, but what they and Trump do not say is that their peace is capitulation, the peace of defeat, the replacement of President Zelensky by a Ukrainian puppet at Putin’s beck and call, the peace of collaborators who have refused for three years to aid Ukrainians. Is this the end of the Atlantic Alliance? The risk is great, but in recent days, the public humiliation of Zelensky and all the insane decisions made over the past month have finally caused Americans to react.

Polls are falling; Republican representatives are met with hostility in their districts, even Fox News is becoming critical, and Trumpists are no longer in majesty. They control the executive, Parliament, the Supreme Court, and social networks, but in American history, advocates of freedom have always prevailed. They are beginning to rise.

The fate of Ukraine is being decided in the trenches, but it also depends on those in the United States who want to defend democracy and here, on our ability to unite Europeans, find the means for their common defense, and make Europe the power it once was in history and hesitates to become again. Our parents defeated fascism and communism at the cost of all sacrifices. The task of our generation is to defeat the totalitarianisms of the 21st century. Long live free Ukraine, long live democratic Europe.”

More importantly, his speech marks a significant turning point for European defense policies and a realignment of the US alliances. If other European leaders echo his sentiments and begin to realign their foreign and defense strategies to adapt to the changing geopolitical landscape. This call to action highlights the urgency and necessity for Europe to become a self-reliant military power once again, capable of defending its sovereignty and maintaining stability in the region.

We, as concerned citizens, must awaken to the stark reality that the fabric of our daily lives has been altered by leaders who seemingly prioritize their agendas over the well-being of the American people. These individuals, propelled by self-interest and a deep-seated lust for power, have demonstrated time and again that their decisions and policies DO NOT align with the broader public interest or the American people.

The effects of Trump’s leadership are profound and far-reaching. It is imperative that we, as citizens, recognize these changes and become more vigilant and active in our civic duties. We must demand accountability, ensuring that our leaders are serving the American people and not just their selfish ambitions. The call to ‘wake up and rise up’ is not just a metaphor but a dire necessity for preserving our democracy and ensuring a government that upholds the values of justice, equality, and opportunity for all.