Has Europe completely become 'a dish on the table' in 2025?

This multipolar world requires multilateral solutions. Not spheres of influence, where power politics replace international law. We know the new reality: a reality in which Russia violates peace, China disrupts trade, and the United States challenges the international rules-based order.——《Speech by President António Costa at the EU Ambassadors Conference 2026》 Although European public opinion widely reacted to this speech with surprise and pessimism—some interpreting Costa’s words as meaning: 'The EU has lost wars to Russia, lost trade battles to China, and its last good leg is nearly kicked lame by the U.S.'—the European Council internally fully endorses it. Look: the 'EU Prince' has already decided to challenge the 'Top Three Permanent Members' [of the UN Security Council]. Who could resist saying, 'Well done!'? By the way, do you know what Europe has actually done? Before 2021, Russia supplied around 40% of the EU’s natural gas. So since the war began, the EU has worked hard to reduce its dependence on Russian energy—and this year, it finally succeeded: pipeline gas now accounts for just 10%, liquefied natural gas (LNG) for 13.9%, and oil for only 1.4%. The reason? The EU not only incurred enormous costs building LNG import terminals to source large volumes of energy from the U.S., but also recently signed a major oil-and-gas deal with Qatar...

German Chancellor: The U.S. is being 'humiliated' by Iran; no visible U.S. exit strategy from the Iran war yet

He used strong language, stating, 'The entire country is being humiliated by Iran’s leadership.' Analysts note that such remarks—coming from a European leader long regarded as a staunch Atlanticist—reflect Europe’s deepening frustration with this conflict. 'Getting in is easy; getting out is hard'—the precedents of Afghanistan and Iraq. According to CCTV News, when discussing the Iran conflict, Merz pointed out that the U.S. has 'failed to formulate a truly persuasive strategy' in related military operations and negotiations, and observed that Iran’s position is 'clearly stronger than external expectations.' Merz described the current situation as 'extremely complex' and noted that the conflict is already exerting direct impacts on economic operations. Reportedly, when elaborating on the deeper dilemmas of this conflict, Merz invoked historical lessons: 'The perennial problem with such conflicts is that you must not only get in—you must also be able to get out,' he said. 'We saw this painfully in Afghanistan—for 20 years—and we saw it in Iraq too.' He added that there are no signs of hostilities ending in the near term, 'because the Iranians are clearly stronger than expected.' This assessment marks a notable shift from his earlier stance: Merz had initially defended U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, stating, 'Now is not the time to lecture Washington.' Yet as the conflict’s economic fallout intensified and evolved into a domestic political crisis, his critical position gradually became more explicit. On energy security and military deployment, Merz reaffirmed Germany’s limited involvement. He stated that Berlin stands ready to dispatch mine-sweeping vessels under an international framework to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz—but only after a ceasefire agreement is first reached. This statement continues Germany’s prior cautious posture. Previously, Trump sought to bring NATO into the effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz; Germany resisted. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius even bluntly declared the Iran conflict 'not our war.' Nonetheless, Merz subsequently emphasized that the Middle East crisis should not serve as a 'stress test' for transatlantic relations—attempting to strike a balance between criticism and alliance maintenance.

Germany's Merz Promises Relief Plan 'Soon' as Pump Prices Hit Record

6 days ago

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz promised imminent relief measures as E10 gasoline prices hit a record €2.286 per litre amid rising consumer pressure. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil proposed a windfall tax on European energy firms to help mitigate soaring costs.

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