Not only the U.S. but also Europe must learn its lessons from the debacle in Afghanistan

Nicolas Grünig

The results of the 20-year mission in Afghanistan are disappointing for the USA and its NATO partners. The chaotic evacuation was an infamous high point that has shown the failure again with all clarity. From every defeat, one has to learn lessons. After what happened, it seems almost impossible that the U.S. will in the future be able to win over its population for foreign military missions with unclearly defined goals, as in Afghanistan. America and the West have grown tired of intervention. The era of missionary world improvement has come to an end. Europe will also learn its lessons from the events in Kabul. The events in Afghanistan can act as a catalyst for introducing an effective security policy without the heavy dependence on the United States.

 

After the chaotic evacuation out of Kabul, a realization that the European countries had is how dependent they are on the U.S. When the U.S. withdrew from Kabul Airport, the Europeans had to leave, whether they wanted to or not. The countries Great Britain, France, and Germany demanded Joe Biden to stay longer in Kabul than August 31 to evacuate all vulnerable people they wanted. The U.S. President decided otherwise, and the European countries could not even think about securing the airport with their troops. Josep Borrell, the E.U.'s foreign affairs representative, sees it also this way. He says the dramatic events of August "demonstrated in a striking way that the E.U.'s lack of capacity to act autonomously comes at a price." Without "big brother," they would not have been able to act. 

 

Smaller than hoped is the influence on Joe Biden. When Joe Biden took office, he promised to coordinate important international decisions with his allies. However, precisely concerning Afghanistan, this has not happened. Like his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden seems to act according to the maxim "America First": American interests first. Nevertheless, many in Europe fear that they will be much more affected by the negative consequences of American policy than the Americans. Because whether hundreds of thousands of refugees leave Afghanistan or new terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan, Europe is probably first faced with the challenges than the U.S.

 

However, Europa must not blame the U.S. here. It is not the task of the U.S. to do any favor to Europe and be the main responsible for Europe's security. Instead, it is time for an independent foreign policy of the European states. In today's world, this also includes the possibility of carrying out a military operation independently. That is why calls for a joint European military force are being heard again. The idea existed already for an extended period, but the idea gained actuality with the events in Afghanistan. With the establishment of a rapid reaction force consisting of 5,000 soldiers, the European Foreign Minister suggested, the E.U. should be better prepared for crises like the one in Afghanistan. Europeans would then also be able to take over a rapid military deployment, as the Americans did to secure the airport and the evacuations in Kabul. However, there are still many challenges to be solved before such a European army becomes a reality. The biggest problem with the common security and defense policy is that it generally lacks commonality in the E.U. The European Council's decisions on international issues are taken unanimously. Accordingly, the declarations of the 27 often describe no more than the lowest common denominator of the member states. How can a Union that does not even agree on border protection issues send soldiers of its member states to die in doubt for the interests of others?

Nevertheless, the idea of a European army is very promising. Not only would it strengthen the E.U.'s foreign policy but also its internal cohesion. In addition, it would also be beneficial for the U.S. An independent and important partner in Europe helps to stand up to China and other countries that are not destined to be U.S.-friendly.