U.S. Should Put Its Own Interests First

A recent poll conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations found that most Europeans would choose to stay neutral in a war between China and America over Taiwan. While only 23% would want their country to take America’s side in a war in which China invaded Taiwan and the U.S. came to its defense.

This comes at a time when America is pouring billions in financial and military support into Ukraine to defend these same Europeans against the Russians. A war, it should be noted, that China has actively supported Russia in since the beginning.

But the poll makes clear that Europeans do not equate Russia and China or see Europe and Asia as two interconnected fronts, as many American strategists do.

This sentiment is shared by European policymakers as well, most notably, French President Emanuel Macron who has advocated for European “strategic autonomy,” to separate Europe from America and avoid being pulled into a war against China. To that end, Macron is actively blocking any attempted expansions of the NATO alliance to Asia.

This is significant given that China and America are already engaged in a New Cold War, and a military conflict over Taiwan is not a distant or theoretical prospect. To the contrary, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made retaking Taiwan a top priority, and U.S. intelligence believes China could invade the island as early as 2027. Washington is already reportedly preparing evacuation plans for American citizens living in Taiwan.

Such a war would be an epoch defining event, deciding the trajectory of the world for the next century. And it is a war America could very well lose.

This past week alone Politico ran a piece highlighting how gravely concerned the Pentagon is about the prospect, given America’s woeful unpreparedness for it. Losing, or even failing to defend Taiwan, would have world-altering implications, with devastating effects for America and the American way of life.

This makes the unwillingness of European allies to side with America no small matter.

Further, according to the poll, Europeans are even against joining America in any economic decoupling or “de-risking” from China to reduce exposure to Chinese economic coercion. For all the talk about democracy, shared values, human rights, and the like, they still apparently pale compared to commercial considerations.

This hardly bodes well for getting Europe on board with future economic sanctions against China.

This is all undoubtedly music to Xi Jinping’s ears. And will confirm that his divide and conquer strategy of Europe is bearing fruit. But what does this say to the American public about continued U.S. involvement in Europe? Or even continuing support for Ukraine?

It was already becoming a difficult sell to the American people, who rightly wonder why their government keeps pouring billions of their tax dollars into another distant war, especially with no shortage of pressing needs at home. And while helping the Ukrainians may be a worthy cause, Russia does not represent a direct threat to the U.S. in the way it does for Europe.

Americans may therefore be justified in feeling a sense of betrayal by the fact that very few Europeans would return the favor by taking America’s side against China.

President Donald Trump was often derided for his America First foreign policy and for demanding more of European allies, whose defense America has long provided. Trump tried to force them to satisfy their obligations, rather than allowing them to continue free riding on U.S. military power. Trump was right to do so.

Just as Americans are now right to demand that their European allies take America’s side against China, as Americans have for them against Russia. Indeed, otherwise what is the point of having allies in the first place.

Nevertheless, these poll results make clear that America must prepare now to take on China with the eventuality that Europe will not be with them. As such, America must seriously evaluate spending fewer resources on Europe and in Ukraine and much more on rebuilding the U.S. defense industrial base at home, and on its military capabilities in Asia.

Europeans must also be made to carry the load when it comes to their own defense, including in Ukraine, so that America can prioritize countering China in the Indo-Pacific.

For at the end of the day, as the saying goes, there are no permanent allies, or permanent enemies, only permanent interests. America should remember this and put its own first.

Lee Steinhauer is a strategic policy and political consultant known for his book “The Art of The New Cold War: America vs China. What America Must Do to Win.” Lee is a frequent guest on Fox, Fox Business, Newsmax, and a published policy and opinion writer for numerous media publications. Read Lee Steinhauer's Reports — More Here.