The U.S. continues to widen its influence in Europe. Washington does its best to expands its interests in the European region. It has almost achieved the goal of breaking economic cooperation between Europe and Russia and intends to replace Russia in the region. It fears to be late and apprehends growing China economic influence.
Though part of the European elite, including French President Emmanuel Macron, wants Europe to be more independent from the U.S., the other part, especially the Baltic States and Poland are active U.S. lobbyists in Europe.
"Instead of building strategic autonomy from the United States, I propose a strategic partnership with the United States," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on April 11 before flying off to the U.S. for a three-day visit.
The EU officials tirelessly demonstrate the commitment to closer cooperation with the U.S.
Thus, on April 4, the European Commission issued the EU Joint Statement by the EU and the U.S. following the 10th EU-U.S. Energy Council.
According to the document, "the Council recognised the unprecedented intensification of cooperation, coordination, and exchanges between the two sides since the last Ministerial Meeting of the EU-US Energy Council on 7 February 2022." It also recognised the critical role of the Joint Energy Security Task Force set up in March 2022 by Presidents von der Leyen and Biden with the aim of supporting the rapid elimination of the EU's reliance on Russian fossil fuels by diversifying its natural gas supplies, taking steps to minimise the sector's climate impact, and reducing the overall demand for natural gas.
Most likely, "diversifying natural gas supplies" means getting natural gas directly from the U.S.
The more so, the EU and the United States decided to co-organise a High-Level Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Forum later this year on transatlantic cooperation in the field of SMRs and other advanced nuclear reactors.
The EU and the United States intend to continue to coordinate bilateral and multilateral responses to keep the global energy markets stable and support the energy transition required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. The two sides reiterated their strong commitment to directly confront, with adequate measures, all efforts to further destabilise the global energy situation and to circumvent sanctions.
All such initiatives could lead to deepening economic dependence on the U.S. So, situation will not change, Europe will remain dependent but not on Moscow but on Washington.
