EU leaders look set to focus on Iran — where there is little they can achieve — while still failing to flex real muscle against Putin in Ukraine.

Two conflicts will compete for the attention of EU leaders meeting for a summit this week. There is one — Ukraine — where they can make a difference, and another — Iran-Israel — where they can’t.

It seems paradoxical, then, that the Middle East — a theater of war where the U.S. is infinitely more influential than Europe — will probably consume more attention than Ukraine — an EU candidate country that is desperately pleading for more European assistance as the tide turns against it, and Russian forces pummel Kharkiv, its second city.

Still, the EU seems determined to go through the diplomatic motions of appearing to be a global power that might be able to sway notoriously stubborn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

  • Docus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    7 months ago

    Bad take. Nobody said a major conflict in the Middle East won’t have a significant impact on the EU. The EU just can’t do much about it.

    • Damage@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      7 months ago

      The EU has the capacity to deal with both problems and more, it’s the national government’s short sightedness that limits it.

      • wewbull@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        7 months ago

        It’s not powerless, but I think Israel is the one with the power. Iran made an empty show of power. They forewarned so that it could be intercepted. They are happy to let the matter be done with.

        All Israel has to do is nothing, but pride will fuck with their heads and they’ll likely escalate. Nothing the EU can do about that.