Emergency meeting between Chinese-Buddhist-Polish foreign ministers
Discussing revival of military cooperation ‘Weimar Alliance’
As former President Donald Trump denied the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) principle of collective defense by claiming ‘security free riding’, European countries’ movement to ‘self-strengthen their security’ is in full swing. European leaders appear to be coming together to strengthen their own defense capabilities, with France, Germany, and Poland reviving the ‘Weimar Triangle’ created during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
On the 12th (local time), the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland held an emergency meeting near Paris, France and said, “We discussed reviving the ‘Weimar Triangle’, a military cooperation system.” The Weimar Triangle Alliance is an unofficial trilateral cooperation formed in 1991 to integrate Poland into the West during the collapse of the Soviet Union. When former President Trump raised the possibility of withdrawing from NATO, the three countries agreed to form their own combat group and even discussed the revival of a historically defunct security cooperation organization.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also met with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the same day, and even mentioned the famous line from the French novel ‘The Three Musketeers’, ‘All for one, one for all,’ and said, “The European Union (EU) ) must become a military powerhouse,” he emphasized. Chancellor Scholz also said at a press conference, “Cooperation between France, Germany and Poland is good for Europe,” and “We intend to make the most of this format.”
There are even opinions that Europe should build its own nuclear umbrella due to concerns that the U.S. withdrawal from NATO could become a reality if former President Trump wins the U.S. presidential election in November. French Foreign Minister Stéphane Sejournay said in an interview with local media that day, “We must prepare for all scenarios,” and “Europe will only be respected on an equal footing if it is militarily strong.”
Former President Trump continued his criticism of NATO. Following his statement on the 10th that he was “encouraging Russia to invade,” he posted on social media on the 12th, “The amount of U.S. aid to Ukraine is much higher than that of Europe,” and “NATO must be equal.” Otherwise, he threatened, “America First.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.