First Meeting of EU Leaders After Aukus Incident: "Let's Reduce Dependence on the US"

Michelle Standing Chair "EU Autonomy Must Be Enhanced on the International Stage"

(Photo by AFP)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] European Union (EU) leaders met on the 5th (local time) and agreed on the necessity of military security cooperation and strategic autonomy. This was the first time EU leaders gathered since the AUKUS nuclear submarine controversy and the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

According to Politico and others, the EU-Western Balkans summit held in Kranj, Slovenia, focused on the role of the EU amid recent geopolitical events such as the major turmoil caused by the U.S.'s unilateral decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and the launch of the security alliance AUKUS between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, which has created tensions with the U.S.

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, stated, "It is important to explore how the EU can act in a more autonomous manner in line with our cooperation and alliance relationships," making clear that the EU's autonomy, cooperation with NATO, and relations with China were key topics of this meeting.

He emphasized, "We will focus on learning from recent crises to strengthen our own capabilities and increase resilience by reducing precarious dependence on the U.S.," adding, "To be more effective and resolute on the international stage, the EU must enhance its autonomy."

The EU's reliance on the U.S. was fully exposed through the U.S.'s effectively unilateral withdrawal decision from Afghanistan and the humiliating Kabul evacuation process. Foreign media pointed out that without U.S. support, European countries would not have been able to guarantee the safe withdrawal of their citizens and troops stationed locally.

Amid this, the launch of AUKUS fueled dissatisfaction among EU member states toward the U.S. This security alliance aimed at countering China involves Australia developing nuclear-powered submarines with support from the U.S. and the U.K., which meant canceling a $56 billion (approximately 66 trillion won) diesel submarine contract previously signed with a French company, provoking strong backlash from France.

French President Emmanuel Macron criticized AUKUS at the dinner, saying, "It cannot be said that consideration was shown to France or Europe," urging that the vulnerabilities revealed by the Afghanistan withdrawal and the AUKUS incident be used as leverage to strengthen the EU's capabilities.

President Macron said, "We must build a stronger Europe in terms of technology, industry, economy, finance, and military," adding, "A Europe that does its part, chooses its partners independently, and can closely cooperate with traditional allies. It is important to discuss this issue tonight in the increasingly chaotic geopolitical context."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.