According to senior CDU politicians, Europe must curb its dependence on the United States and strengthen its own security and economic power. In a guest column for Handelsblatt, Union faction leader Jens Spahn and CDU foreign‑policy spokesman Norbert Röttgen write: “We must act…. the goal should be to gradually reduce dependencies on U.S. strategic capabilities-from intelligence and air‑defence to wide‑reach precision strikes”.
They argue that this requires a cohort of pioneers. Governments that are willing and able to lead should deepen their security and defence cooperation, adding only one rule: no veto power.
As an example, the authors cite Russia’s so‑called shadow fleet. “For too long European states have allowed Russian oil tankers to transit our waters, thereby financing the war”. Europe needs the legal and operational framework to consistently counter these evasion tactics, through sanctions, coordinated checks and a maritime presence.
The era of illusion is over. Europe faces a directional choice. “It can manage its relative loss of influence-or European states can recognize that they collectively possess the economic and political power that can be used for liberty, security and prosperity. Germany has chosen the latter”.
