2024-07-22 01:48:06
However, as the diplomat said to the “ELTA week” program, Europe and America should conclude a contract today, indicating what Europe can put on the table for a possible future President of the States who likes short and clear messages.
There have been major breakthroughs
According to V. Ušacks, it must be recognized that the USA, which is the most important and guarantor of our region’s security, is going through very deep changes.
“Those changes didn’t start with D.Trump, not with J.Biden, but they started much earlier – I would dare to say that since the presidency of B.Obama, when he clearly formulated that America must reduce its military intervention in other regions.
Especially at that time, it was related to Afghanistan and the Middle East, and that the priority, as B. Clinton also said, which is stupid, is our economy – this is our focus,” the interviewer said.
Therefore, D.Trump’s chosen and unforgettable slogan about making America “great again” also makes sense.
“It’s more of a brand that Trump invented, but that brand also responds to the general trend, and I think that, like 8 years ago, it’s very likely that Trump will win because he comes with simple , short statements, messages to their citizens.
First, that he will fix the economy, that he will start drilling for oil and gas again in America, which will create more jobs, that he will fight and carry out the largest deportation of Mexicans and other Latinos (foreigners) in the history of the world. And thirdly, what he kept saying, that the biggest threat is China, (…) that attention tends towards China inevitably.
And inside, D.Trump, unlike 8 years ago, comes much better armed. Armed with his political platform, which he developed and put together in writing, which has already provided programs and plans for each ministry in great detail,” V. Ušackas taught.
He also noticed that D. Trump is coming to these US presidential elections with a much larger and more loyal “army” of his bureaucrats.
“What does this mean for Lithuania, what does it mean for the Baltic countries, Ukraine and Europe?” This means that Trump will not necessarily be bad. Because again, let’s remember that he did a lot to wake up European leaders – that famous NATO samitaswhen he threatened to leave NATO, and now 23 countries spend more than 2 percent of their GDP on defense.
Of course, there will be a lot of unpredictability, and we don’t really know how his administration will play out, because he himself is very eclectic, self-centered, and difficult to predict. A lot will depend on who will be next to him when making those decisions”, said V. Ušackas.
According to the long-time diplomat, Europe today lacks the understanding of how to amortize the “coming locomotive of D. Trump”.
“Talking to his advisers, they make no secret that America is not only competing, but preparing for cyber and conventional war with China, and it’s important to them that the resources are there.
I think that in foreign policy, they are preparing, as much as possible, for containment, containment, but also for a possible war with China.
Secondly, they do not see that Europe could be an ally in America’s war with China, because Europe does not have its own independent military forces or navy, (…) and therefore it is most important for them to concentrate everything and allocate resources to China”, taught V. Ušackas .
Something will need to be “brought to the table”
He also reminded that D. Trump himself has repeated several times that he would “reconcile” Ukraine and Russia within 24 hours, and his already elected vice president has repeatedly said that Ukraine is not important to him at all.
According to V. Ušack, Europe needs preventive diplomacy in relation to D. Trump, possibly with the help of the brightest leaders of our continent.
“And what does that mean?” This means that we have to recognize, read, hear what D.Trump says, what are the possible consequences for Europe and Ukraine, and without waiting for him to be elected, we have to send our messengers.
It doesn’t have to be the current prime minister – it could be B. Johnson, it could be G. Meloni, who thinks similarly to D. Trump, it could be a big close financial donor of European origin, who would hand the Europeans, dare I even call it, the European contract with America, because D. Trump needs short and clear messages,” the diplomat said.
V.Ušackis himself had to personally meet with D.Trump twice – a few decades ago he and his wife were invited to the USA by the current candidate himself.
“We even played golf together, (…) then he had no political ambitions yet.” (…) We must send envoys with a clear contract – what we offer and what we want from America. But before that contract, we have to come to an agreement and understand who D. Trump is,” urged the interviewer.
According to him, first of all, D. Trump needs quick and cheap victories, and secondly, he needs to be seen and appreciated as a great leader who solves the problem.
“Thirdly, he is ready to trade Ukraine’s territory and its desire to become a member of NATO. Therefore, the answer should be very serious and deep – we have to assess those strong, weak opportunities and threats, agree internally, in Europe, but together with V. Zelensky.
War ends in negotiations, and negotiations are not with friends, not with partners, not with allies, but with adversaries, and for those negotiations you need to prepare. But the first negotiations must be between allies. Between V. Zelenski and Europe and between Europe-V. Zelenski and America”, assured V. Ušackas.
The diplomat is convinced that the most important thing today is for the US to give Europe time and not leave it alone. The second is that D. Trump “does not sell Ukraine in naive negotiations with V. Putin” and does not promise that NATO will never expand.
“We have to bring something to the table. I think we can bring his reluctance to finance Ukraine’s war in the future, so we have to bring our promise that the Europeans pick up the bill to rebuild and support Ukraine financially, arming, but also ensuring that Ukraine will be rebuilt and have a sustainable economy,” explained V. Ušackas .
Also, according to him, Europe should express a promise that it will continue to raise its military budget.
“Maybe even up to 4 percent, as is the case in the United States, and at the same time they will promise to pay maybe half or 30 percent of all those costs to D. Trump or the American defense industry, so that they are satisfied that they are getting money for it, maintaining their bases, soldiers, while Europe builds its own forces.
We can do it”, emphasized V. Ušackas.
2024-07-22 01:48:06