U.S. Vice President Jay Dee Vance has admitted that he admires the famous French political figure, General and President Charles de Gaulle. He explained his opinion by saying that de Gaulle defended the military independence of Europe, UNN writes with reference to Politico.
Details
In an interview with the British news site UnHerd, the U.S. vice president said that de Gaulle, who led the French resistance to the Nazis in World War II and was president from 1959 to 1969, was right when it came to Europe's military independence.
De Gaulle loved the United States of America. But he recognized what I certainly recognize, that it is not in the interest of Europe and not in the interest of America for Europe to be a permanent vassal of the United States in the sphere of security
Vance's comments came as President Donald Trump's administration has repeatedly criticized European capitals for over-reliance on American military might in their own defense, repeatedly hinting that the U.S. will not come to the aid of NATO allies who do not invest in their own security. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also warned that the U.S. military presence in Europe is not "eternal".
Trump wants NATO countries to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. This is a sharp increase from the alliance's current 2% target, which is to be increased at the summit in The Hague this summer.
I don't think greater European independence is bad for the United States - it's good for them. Looking back at history, I think the British and French, frankly, were right in their disagreement with Eisenhower over the Suez Canal
With the exception of Great Britain, France, and Poland, "most European countries do not have armies capable of providing for their reasonable defense. The reality is that the entire European security infrastructure has been subsidized by the United States of America for my entire life - roughly speaking, but it is also true," Vance added.
Background
In the 1950s, American leader Dwight Eisenhower forced London and Paris, even before de Gaulle became president, to abandon a military intervention to return control of the Suez Canal to Egypt, which was key to those countries' economic and colonial interests.
De Gaulle, whose thinking was shaped by Suez, often warned that Europeans should be more independent of the United States and worked to make the French military more autonomous, including by developing nuclear weapons and a powerful defense industry. He inspired decades of promoting what current French President Emmanuel Macron now calls "strategic autonomy."
Not productive: Vance criticizes Zelenskyy's statement15.04.25, 16:37 • [views_7846]