From the blog To Be Or, Dec 5, 2005:
"The new US National Security Strategy is a bloodcurdling mess. It's a carbon copy of Vance's Munich speech, written down on paper.
The strategy essentially gives up on Russia.
As for China, the threat is acknowledged, but the document uses extremely softened language to avoid provoking escalation.
The harshest language is reserved for Europe. And although Vance said all this in February, it's still frightening, as the Trump administration is in its own magical world where the main threat isn't China and Russia, but democratic European governments, and the US's main goal is to turn Europe into one big MAGA.
Main points:
▪️Europe's economic decline is obscured by a deeper problem: the looming prospect of the erasure of civilizational identity.
▪️Europe's problems include the actions of the EU and transnational bodies that undermine political freedom and sovereignty. These include migration policy, censorship of free speech, suppression of political opposition, and declining birth rates.
▪️As a result of Russia's war in Ukraine, European relations with Russia have been deeply weakened (and how the hell are they supposed to be strengthened?), and many Europeans view Russia as an existential threat.
▪️Managing Europe's relations with Russia will require American diplomatic engagement to restore strategic stability on the Eurasian continent and prevent conflict between Russia and European states.
▪️The key US interest is to negotiate a rapid end to hostilities in Ukraine in order to stabilize European economies, prevent unintended escalation, restore strategic stability with Russia, and ensure the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine to ensure its survival as a viable state. (This does NOT state that Ukraine must remain a sovereign and independent state, which was the cornerstone of the previous doctrine – ed.)
▪️The Trump administration is at odds with European officials who harbor unrealistic expectations for the war [in Ukraine], based on unstable minority governments, many of which trample on the basic principles of democracy to suppress the opposition.
▪️The majority of Europeans want peace, but this desire is not reflected in policy, largely because their governments undermine democratic processes.
▪️American diplomacy must advocate for genuine democracy, freedom of expression, and an unwavering commitment to the individual character and history of European nations.
▪️Our goal is to help Europe correct its trajectory. <...> We want to work with united nations to restore their former greatness. (Help Russia, damn it, correct its trajectory.)
▪️Priorities of US European policy:
- restore stability within Europe and strategic stability with Russia;
- ensure a Europe that stands on its own feet, <...> taking responsibility for its own defense without domination by its adversaries;
- cultivate European resistance to its current trajectory;
- open European markets to American goods and services, ensuring fair treatment of American employees and businesses;
- build healthy nations in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe through commercial ties, arms sales, political cooperation, cultural and educational exchanges;
- end and prevent the perception of NATO as an ever-expanding alliance;
- encourage Europe to take action against excessive mercantilism (what the fuck?), technology theft, cyberespionage, and other unfriendly economic practices.
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Politico is trying to reassure everyone, writing that the US national security strategy has been repeatedly adjusted in response to current events – for example, George W. Bush had to change his strategy after the September 11 attacks. But somehow I don't think this is the case...
The main question: how do you plan to "restore strategic stability with Russia" in a situation where Putin declares Europe an enemy and threatens to start a war against it?"
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Update: Below is a comment on X by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the US National Security Strategy:
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