On the Recent Developments in EU and US Foreign Policy

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for over three years and, despite recent gains by Russia, there remains no clear end in sight. However, in the midst of a rapidly fluctuating geopolitical situation, that could change at any moment.

With the return of Trump to the presidency, the US has begun shifting its stance on Russia and NATO, favoring a “peaceful resolution” in Ukraine over the Biden administration’s goal of “defeating Putin.” To that end, the Trump administration is now pressuring NATO members to increase their defense spending and the Zelensky regime to accept a disadvantageous ceasefire, going as far as threatening to withhold military aid even in the event of an attack on a NATO ally.

In response to this shift, officials within the European Union are now calling for “rearmament,” to build up its domestic military-industrial capacity and reduce its dependence on NATO. Most recently, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, announced the “ReArm Europe” plan, which, if adopted, will allocate €800bn to defense spending across the 27 member states.

However, as dramatic as these changes in foreign policy across the US and EU may be, we must remember that they merely reflect the fluctuating contradictions within the world imperialist system. The US, by pressuring Ukraine and NATO, is not seeking peace in the region, it is seeking control of resources and a more favorable alignment with Russia against China. The EU, by pushing to build up its military capacity, is not securing the safety of the people of Europe, it is securing the interests of European monopolies. And Russia, alongside all the other “BRICS” countries, is not simply fighting against “Western imperialism,” it is fighting for its own imperialist interests.

As capitalism continues its decay and imperialist powers inch closer to all-out conflict, we can expect the global situation to become increasingly chaotic. If we are to have any hope of combating the bourgeoisie in its drive for war, we must build a new Communist Party and a new Communist International. Only the revolutionary forces of the international proletariat can bring an end to imperialist aggression.

No war but class war!