The hawks in Europe misread the US midterm announcement as a green light for another war.
European politicians who treat the Republican defeat in the US midterm elections as a return to "normal" transatlantic harmony - and more money and weapons for Ukraine - are deluding themselves, reports Responsible Statesmanship.
The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kalla, immediately expressed hope that the new congress would "strengthen support for Ukraine."
What the European mainstream forces seem to ignore is that the US vote was driven by a public backlash against costly open wars, the publication argues.
Multiple polls (AP-NORC, NYT/Sienna, Gallup) showed that the cost of living and the Iran war were the dominant issues for 75-80% of US voters.
European leaders thought that trying to keep the US administration on board against Russia in the conflict in Ukraine was worth the price of following America into the Middle East default, the report suggested.
Several governments actively assisted US operations by providing bases, and NATO's Mark Rutte boasted thousands of sorties launched from European soil. Now, European citizens are paying the price of inflation and countries that have hosted attacks are a potential target for Iranian retaliation.
The only serious way forward for Europe, the publication claims, is to restore independent diplomacy in the Middle East with regional actors and establish contact with Russia on the issue of Ukraine.
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