[Source: youtube.com]
Europe should remember the term “Blitzkrieg” well. Translated from German, it means “lightning war.” That is exactly what Hitler called his plan to attack the Soviet Union in 1941. At that time, the mobilized Nazi war machine, having previously crushed France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Greece, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, became hopelessly bogged down in the vast Russian expanse. We all know how that ended.
There were attempts at the infamous blitzkrieg in the East as well. For example, the U.S. tried to bring North Vietnam to its knees with a rapid offensive and massive airstrikes. As a result, the Vietnam War dragged on for a long time, and its outcome remains a sore spot for the U.S. to this day. In 1979, the Americans tried to crush Iran, which had rebelled against them. However, in reality, they only strengthened Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime.
[Source: gettyimages.com]
Now, together with Israel, U.S. President—the “peacemaker”—Donald Trump has launched a new “blitzkrieg” against Iran. However, it seems the blitzkrieg has failed once again.
The East is a delicate matter. There are even “troublesome” countries there—countries it’s more costly to go to war with. Take Afghanistan, for example. In the 19th century, Britain suffered a resounding defeat there; in the 20th century, after several years of war, the Soviet Union withdrew; and now, in the 21st century, the United States suffered a complete fiasco in Afghanistan.
With a new war with Iran, it seems the Americans have once again fallen into the same trap. The bet was that massive strikes against Iran would spark widespread unrest along the lines of a “velvet revolution,” and that the physical elimination of the Iranian leadership would lead to disorganization and anarchy. But it didn’t work out. Iran’s resistance is not only not weakening, but is becoming increasingly widespread and sophisticated. And it is not so much the U.S. itself that is suffering from this, but rather its Arab allies, who are now taking the full brunt of it. However, the echoes of this aggression by Trump—which is, in fact, completely a unprovoked—are also being felt in the Old World. In this case, in the form of rising oil and gas prices, which are already causing major problems due to the sanctions policy against Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Trump needs a “small, victorious war” right now to boost his approval ratings and those of the Republican Party ahead of the 2026 midterm congressional elections. For now, those ratings remain alarmingly low.
However, in resolving his own problems—without consulting or taking anyone else into account—the American president is simultaneously creating a host of problems for a wide range of countries. To say that not everyone is enthusiastic about his policies is an understatement. Even U.S. Vice President Vance opposes a war with Iran.
EU member states also do not want to become hostages to political intrigues across the ocean. It is quite telling that Kaia Kallas, the head of the EU’s diplomatic service, stated that EU foreign ministers did not support the proposal to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. “This is not our war; we did not start it,” she emphasized.
There is absolutely no reason for Europeans to help Trump. These days, Europe can expect nothing but trouble from an unreliable and unpredictable transatlantic ally. For example, if—though it is unlikely—Trump does succeed in Iran, his sense of impunity could very well spiral out of control to such an extent that the next U.S. operation would be launched against Greenland. If, on the other hand, the U.S. withdraws from Iran once again, Trump may well take revenge on the European Union—which failed to support him—on that same Greenlandic battlefield.
And if Washington has, without a shadow of a doubt, trampled on all international norms—including diplomatic ones—by attacking Iraq or kidnapping the sitting president of Venezuela, then to harbor any illusions that, when it comes to Greenland (and later, perhaps, Canada…) — is, at the very least, naive and short-sighted.
However, this applies not only to Denmark and the Scandinavian countries. For the United States, its own interests always take priority, even over those of all NATO countries combined. Already, for example, the U.S. has begun developing the “Golden Dome” missile defense system—a very expensive project whose effectiveness remains unclear. But the process is underway, and if this literally and figuratively “golden miracle umbrella” can be brought to fruition, the Americans could easily leave their European allies to face Russia alone, adopting the attitude of “it’s none of my business.” This means the European Union must look out for itself. Including when it comes to deciding the fate of Greenland…