this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2025
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The United States will seek to force the European Union to choose between the US and China on trade, according to briefings circulated to senior ministers and officials after Tánaiste Simon Harris’s meeting in Washington last week with US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 week ago (8 children)

I see no possibility that the EU will, if forced to choose, choose anyone other than China.

Russia and the US have both clearly signaled to the EU that they cannot be trusted. I see no reason why the EU would do anything other than believe them.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

China likewise has shown itself to be equally as untrustworthy. It openly supports Russia during it's invasion of Ukraine for starters, even the US is pretending to barely support Ukraine.

The EU should not bog itself down with the three tyrants.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Right, but China is untrustworthy in a standard international wheeling and dealing sense, while Russia and the US are both direct, existential threats to the EU and its constituent nations.

Yes - they'd be best off avoiding entanglements with all three, but their very survival might depend on allying with China against an overtly hostile Russia and US.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Trump: dump china if you want to be my friend

EU: no thanks

China: Finally, I've wanted to be friends for so long

EU: no thanks

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That would certainly be a good way to play it.

But really- the EU doesn't want to alienate China too much, because the time could easily come when having China at their back is the only thing that saves them from being spit-roasted by a US/Russia alliance.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Totally, then shouldn't be rude about it but it looks like to me they want to keep some safe distance from both the coming years. Maybe pull a Switzerland if it actually comes to ww3, but let's hope not.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

It's a sad world where you always have to consider your actions to not escalate toward a new world war. Things went from okay to bad really quick.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Id use the descriptor volatile for the US and Russia

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I guess, in the same sense that ones relationship with two hungry-looking men with their hands wrapped around suspicious bulges in their pockets, advancing on you from opposite ends of a dark alley and already arguing over who gets to keep your watch might be considered "volatile."

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