If #EU security policy is going through a watershed moment, then this should show in our language. Let’s spell it out: We don’t need ‘strategic autonomy’. What EU needs now is strategic responsibility. THREAD 1/7
‘Strategic autonomy’ has always been toxic in most places in #CentralEurope because it smacks of decoupling from the #US. Defenders of SA can claim ‘til they’re blue in the face that decoupling is happening anyway & that autonomy refers also to tech, energy & supply chains. 2/7
The term is tainted, especially in light of #Russia aggression. #US is actually re-pivoting to #EU, & EU is shouldering much more of the defence burden. Any future US administration would have a hard time returning to #Trump 2017. 3/7
We need strategic responsibility, vis-à-vis our fellow citizens, our eastern & southeastern neighbours & our North American allies. #EU citizens deserve more honesty about the necessity to confront 🇷🇺 under #Putin & the cost of preserving freedom. 4/7
Neighbours deserve more openness to EU membership, clear criteria & assistance in reaching them. No weakening of #RuleOfLaw! 5/7
Allies deserve more support & less EU fence-sitting on #China (also in our own interest) and constant checking if our ideas on security are explicable to US voters. US nuclear guarantees are irreplaceable but we need to help Atlanticists in US to make their case. 6/7
Strategic responsibility, above all, means growing up. Admitting that we’ve been irresponsible in the past. That doesn’t exclude autonomy in energy etc. But changing the name of the game would help us to draw the right lessons from the war & rise to the occasion! 7/7
.@MilanN_inBerlin @peterkreko @nicolange_ @vtchakarova @fromTGA @GresselGustav @jana_puglierin @valasekt @jan_techau @general_ben @benjaminhaddad @ian_lesser @MacaesBruno @BrunoTertrais @RobertPszczel @edwardlucas @EHunterChristie @StevenBlockmans @D_Schwarzer @DSchwammenthal
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