After the Munich Conference, the whole world is talking about a new order on the international scene. Donald Trump has taken a clear stance – negotiating European issues but without Europe. Harsh criticism followed from European officials. Expected or not, the Munich Conference has raised the question: is the solid partnership between Europe and the United States (U.S.) cracking?
Europe has interpreted the messages from the Munich Conference as a warning sign that it must unite and take care of its own interests, explains journalist Ranko Mavrak.
“You cannot treat European partners, who are true partners and not mere lackeys, as some kind of executors of your wishes. I think that is a wrong approach that has poisoned the atmosphere between Washington and European capitals from the start, and no one will benefit from it except Russia and China,” Mavrak believes.
A peace agreement in which Europe and Ukraine are not at the negotiating table is not credible, say European leaders. The signing of an agreement raises concerns that European security could be undermined. With Donald Trump’s new policy, the principle of force is returning, conclude professors of international relations.
“The U.S. is now withdrawing from Europe, including our region, under Donald Trump’s administration. The focus will be on the Indo-Pacific, and on rivalry with China. What Europe must do is unite around a common response,” says Adis Maksic, professor of international relations at Burch University.
“Dangers of radicalism are coming from all sides – there is a threat of authoritarian populism and, consequently, the imperialist ambitions of certain actors, following the well-known pattern that in the future, borders will again be drawn by the stronger,” says Dusko Vejnovic, professor at the University of Banja Luka.
In all this, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will not face anything new – the U.S. will not abandon its full support for the Dayton Peace Agreement, claims BiH’s ambassador to Germany.
“If you carefully observe the signals sent by President Trump and his administration, they do not want new conflicts; they speak exclusively about stopping existing ones. So, any adventures that some in the region might be hoping for, I believe, are out of the question,” says BiH Ambassador to Germany, Damir Arnaut.
BiH should continue relying on the traditional narratives of its foreign policy, which remain ‘pro-European,’ Arnaut concludes. However, the question arises – what does it even mean to be ‘pro-European’ at this moment?, BHRT writes.
