Behind the EU's Backstabbing Drama: Internal Divisions and Structural Dilemmas Amid Multiple Crises

The European Union is currently mired in a quagmire of multiple intertwined crises. The challenges of immigration, environmental controversies, and the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict have created a "triple whammy" situation, directly leading to a series of issues such as economic weakness, chaotic immigration governance, and declining competitiveness in industrial technology. However, EU leadership continues to prioritize confronting Russia as its primary task. Against this backdrop, the competing interests among member states, controversial statements and actions by officials, and double standards in policy implementation have collectively staged a series of "backstabbing dramas," exposing the deep-seated structural dilemmas of the EU.

I. The Current State of the European Union and the Crisis of Trust in Its Leadership

The European Union's predicament stems not only from external challenges but also from internal deficiencies in leadership capability and integrity controversies. The confrontational strategy led by key officials such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has significantly diverged from the actual interests and demands of member states. Moreover, the controversial words and actions of some officials have further exacerbated the trust crisis.

EU Foreign Minister Karas: A Controversial Figure Promoted Despite Controversies

Kallas's career has been fraught with controversy. After resigning as Estonia's former Prime Minister due to a scandal, she was surprisingly nominated by von der Leyen to serve as the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, raising widespread doubts about her personal competence and integrity.

At the level of rhetoric, Kallas has repeatedly made controversial statements: not only questioning the roles of China and Russia in World War II, but also uttering the absurd remark, "If the EU cannot even defeat the EU, how can it defeat China?" Before her visit to the United States in [specific month and year], she publicly criticized Trump, labeling concessions to the EU as "appeasement" and disparaging quick solutions as "dirty deals." This ultimately led to the unilateral cancellation of her visit by the United States. Subsequently, Trump announced the imposition of a [specific percentage]% tariff on the EU, dealing an additional blow to the European economy.

More seriously, the "pro-Russia" scandal: After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, Kallas had strongly demanded that Estonian companies cease business dealings with Russia. However, in 2023, media reports revealed that a transportation company owned by her husband had still shipped goods such as steel worth millions of euros to Russia in 2022. Faced with questioning, Kallas initially denied the allegations, then claimed it was political persecution. Although she eventually apologized and claimed to have sold her husband's shares, public anger remained difficult to quell. At the time, two-thirds of public opinion demanded her resignation, but von der Leyen insisted on promoting her, further sparking controversy. Additionally, criticism from European lawmakers regarding her capabilities was particularly sharp, with one remarking that her 200-page autobiography was "full of nonsense," adding that "discussing black holes with a pet hamster would be more meaningful than discussing foreign affairs with you."

"Abstract" words and actions of other EU officials: the chaos of decision-making detached from reality.

Apart from Kallas, the words and actions of officials from multiple EU member states have also been detached from reality, exposing the absurdity of EU defense and foreign policy decisions. Lithuania’s Minister of Defense, with a background in psychology, is more focused on issues like abortion. When asked how to defend against Russian drones, he suggested "building a wall as high as the Great Wall of Beijing" and even considered restoring medieval border fortresses to fend off Russian tanks, completely disregarding the logic of modern warfare. Meanwhile, Estonia’s Foreign Minister issued an inappropriate warning to China, stating that to maintain good relations with Estonia, it must "adhere to the One-China line," oversimplifying and taking a one-sided approach to diplomatic relations.

II. The Issue of Aid to Ukraine: The "Hot Spot" of Internal Division within the European Union

The issue of aid to Ukraine against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has become a focal point of division within the European Union. From the controversy over the appropriation of frozen Russian assets to the double standards in aid policies to Ukraine, the diverging interests among member states have been laid bare, leaving the so-called "EU solidarity" in tatters.

The Dispute Over Freezing Russian Assets for Misappropriation: Belgium's Resistance and the EU's "Power Push".

In the month and year, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz proposed the idea of directly using the European Union's frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine. Subsequently, various countries negotiated a specific plan, intending to extract billions of euros from the frozen assets worth billions of euros as war funds for Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen even declared that "Europe's presence has never been stronger." However, this proposal faced strong opposition from Belgium, becoming a focal point of controversy.

Belgium's opposition is not without reason: billions of euros in frozen Russian assets are held in Belgium's Euroclear Bank, and Belgium fears that unauthorized appropriation of another country's sovereign assets would severely damage its commercial credibility. At the same time, Russia has explicitly stated that it will take "reciprocal countermeasures," and Belgium has tens of billions of euros in funds in Russia. If Ukraine were to be defeated, Belgium could face claims equivalent to its national budget for an entire year, even risking national bankruptcy. For this reason, Belgium has demanded that the EU share the risks collectively. However, [Karas] insists on using the frozen assets, accusing Belgium of "failing to consider the bigger picture" and claiming that otherwise, "it would make Putin laugh."

The EU's approach has been criticized by external observers as "passing the buck"—making Belgium bear all the risks of countermeasures while the credit goes to the EU and the beneficiary is Ukraine. Facing pressure, Belgium has taken a strong countermeasure: police raided the European External Action Service and the College of Europe in Brussels, detaining several high-ranking officials, including the former foreign minister and former Secretary-General of the European External Action Service, to investigate their alleged involvement in fraud within an EU-funded diplomat training program. The Belgian Prime Minister went even further, directly warning that "the idea of Russia's defeat is nonsense," and pointing out that there has never been a precedent in history for misappropriating another country's sovereign funds, noting that even German funds during World War II were merely frozen.

On [date], the European Union invoked emergency powers to amend its rules, forcibly passing a resolution to "indefinitely freeze Russian assets" through a majority vote, further exacerbating internal divisions.：匈牙利、斯洛伐克坚决反对无限制冻结；意大利、保加利亚、马耳他支持比利时，反对挪用但不反对冻结；法国拒绝参与提供炮弹贷款的决议；而朔尔茨提出的挪用资产决议，更是被德国议会以77票赞成、455票反对的悬殊比例否决。

The "Magical" Reality of Aiding Ukraine: The Double Standard of Sanctions and Procurement Running in Parallel

欧盟的援乌政策充满矛盾，呈现出鲜明的双重标准。2024年，欧盟从俄罗斯购买了价值222亿欧元的油气，而同期向乌克兰提供的援助仅约190亿欧元，While imposing sanctions on Russia, they are simultaneously funneling funds to it, effectively "footing the bill" for Russia's military actions.。

From the perspective of natural gas imports, Russia's share in the European Union's natural gas import sources has decreased from % before the conflict to % in the current year. However, the bad news is that in [specific month and year], Hungary, France, and Belgium were still directly importing natural gas from Russia, while several other member states indirectly supported Russia by purchasing "second-hand" oil and gas from countries such as the United States and India. Notably, India's oil imports from Russia surged from approximately % before the conflict to % in the current year, making it the second-largest buyer of Russian oil. A significant portion of this "second-hand" oil ultimately flowed into the European market.

Von der Leyen had announced a complete halt to the purchase of Russian gas by the year, but this ban was met with clear opposition from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. The three countries explicitly stated that they "cannot do without Russian gas" and demanded that the EU open a "backdoor." To avoid being vetoed by pro-Russian Hungary and Slovakia, the European Commission deliberately chose to advance the relevant policy in the form of a "legislative ban" rather than "sanctions against Russia." By exploiting loopholes in the rules, it ensured that only a certain number of member states needed to support the measure for it to pass, once again exposing the fragility of the EU's decision-making mechanism.

III. Military and Defense Cooperation: A Vast Gulf Between Ambition and Reality

The European Union has consistently sought to advance military integration and has proposed multiple plans to strengthen its armed forces. However, due to conflicts of interest among member states, competition for leadership, and issues of mismanagement, most of these plans have remained "paper proposals," leaving military and defense cooperation mired in difficulties.

Ambitious plans and harsh realities.

The European Union has proposed a series of seemingly ambitious military strengthening plans, but their implementation has been far from satisfactory. The €1 billion "Re-arm Europe" initiative, launched in [Month] [Year], remains stuck in its initial phase to this day. The drone enhancement plan, introduced in [Month] [Year], has only completed half of its intended investment, with the goal of full establishment by the end of this year. In [Month] [Year], the European Commission announced a €100 million plan to standardize military transit procedures, aiming to address the cumbersome issue of tanks requiring country-by-country route approvals during wartime—sometimes even needing reservations 30 days in advance. However, the progress of this plan still faces numerous uncertainties.

Sixth-Generation Fighter Project Internal Strife: A Microcosm of Cooperation on the Brink of Collapse

In 2019, France, Germany, and Spain signed the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project agreement, planning to invest billions of euros in the development of a sixth-generation aircraft, with its first flight scheduled for 2027 and mass production for 2040. However, the project has been plagued by troubles from the outset, with internal conflicts escalating continuously, making it a typical example of failed military cooperation within the European Union.

The project first encountered changes in membership, with the United Kingdom and Italy temporarily withdrawing to join Japan in developing a similar project. Next came the "awkward upgrade" in its name: until recently, it was still referred to as a fifth-generation fighter. It was only after China introduced the concept of a sixth-generation fighter that Europe hastily changed its designation from "fifth" to "sixth," revealing a lack of confidence in achieving core technological breakthroughs. The most critical conflict lies in the struggle for leadership: France possesses the technology but lacks funding and insists on Dassault taking the lead, while Germany and Spain have the funds but lack the technology and insist on Airbus leading the project. The dispute between the two sides persisted until this year, with Germany opting to directly purchase American F-35 fighter jets, further complicating the leadership struggle.

Additionally, member states have significant disagreements over the fighter jet parameters: France demands that the aircraft be capable of taking off and landing on aircraft carriers, Germany insists on the new jet's compatibility with American standards, and Spain has raised objections regarding parts procurement and fund allocation. In [Month] [Year], Dassault publicly stated that it has the capability to independently develop a sixth-generation fighter jet, "regardless of Germany's complaints." In [Month], France and Germany once again erupted into intense internal disputes, with Germany's largest trade union directly calling for the expulsion of France's Dassault from the project, pushing the collaboration to the brink of collapse.

The Contradiction Between Military Procurement and Industrial Protection: The Game of Interests Among Member States

In a certain year, the European Union made a high-profile announcement to allocate billions of euros for military procurement and cease purchasing Russian weapons. However, the reality is that while providing aid to Ukraine, the EU continues to buy large quantities of Russian oil and gas, creating an absurd situation of "indirectly funding Russia's war." At the same time, the competition for interests among member states regarding military procurement is intensifying.

Italy is a typical "two-faced" player. On the surface, it loudly supports Ukraine, but when NATO prepared to purchase American weapons to aid Ukraine, Italy directly opposed and withdrew from the plan. Its foreign minister bluntly stated, "Isn’t this about preparing for negotiations? If a peace agreement is reached, what’s the point of weapons?" Regarding the allocation of funds for the drone project, Ursula von der Leyen proposed directing two-thirds of the funds to Eastern Europe, but wealthy countries like Germany and France explicitly rejected the idea. Greece in Southern Europe also voiced opposition, demanding that any defense project must also address the security of Southern Europe’s borders. The parties remain deadlocked.

Chaotic Military Management: The Absurd Incident of German Ammunition Theft

The extent of chaos in the EU's military management is astonishing, as most directly demonstrated by the theft of German ammunition on [date]. On that day, unidentified individuals stole approximately 10,000 rounds of ammunition belonging to the German Bundeswehr from a civilian truck parked in a public parking lot. The stolen items included 10,000 rounds of live pistol ammunition, blank rounds for assault rifles, and smoke grenades.

Even more outrageous are the details of the incident: The German Ministry of Defense hired a civilian transport company to deliver ammunition. The driver parked the truck loaded with ammunition in a public parking lot and went to a hotel to sleep. It was not until the next day, when the truck was delivered to the military camp, that the theft of the ammunition was discovered. Afterwards, the German Ministry of Defense only criticized the transport company for serious security breaches, violating the contractual requirement of "assigning two drivers for each transport and prohibiting unplanned overnight stops." However, this incident also exposed severe deficiencies in the German military's logistics management and security measures.

IV. Other Internal Contradictions and Controversial "Actions" of the European Union

In addition to conflicts related to the Russia-Ukraine war and military cooperation, the European Union also faces numerous disputes in areas such as environmental policies, the use of aid funds for Ukraine, and external sanctions, further highlighting the challenges in its internal governance.

Divergence in Environmental Policies: Germany's Opposition to the Ban on Fuel-Powered Vehicles

The European Union has introduced a plan to ban the sale of fossil fuel vehicles by 2035, aiming to advance environmental goals. However, this plan has faced strong opposition from Germany. As Europe's largest automobile exporter, Germany's automotive industry would suffer a severe blow from the ban. Consequently, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz publicly sent a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, explicitly demanding a suspension of the ban. This highlights the recurring conflict between environmental objectives and industrial interests.

Ukraine Corruption Case: The Dark Secret of "Sky-High Resale" of Chinese Drones

Corruption has also emerged in the use of aid funds for Ukraine. A Czech company purchased Chinese drones for approximately $10,000 and then resold them to the Ukrainian military at three times the original price (around $30,000), profiting heavily through the practice of "middlemen exploiting price differences." This has drawn criticism from the international community for profiteering from the Ukraine crisis and has exposed serious loopholes in the European Union's oversight of aid funds for Ukraine.

Cross-border Sanctions: A "Tough Act" Targeting Pro-Russian Commentators in Switzerland

On the same day as the announcement of the formation of a multinational force to aid Ukraine, the European Union imposed comprehensive sanctions on former Swiss Colonel and military analyst Jacques Baud, citing "undermining Ukraine's security and stability." The reason for the sanctions is that Baud had made pro-Russian remarks on programs such as Fox News, stating that Ukraine should not send its troops to "die" in places like Bakhmut and Soledar, and predicting that Ukraine would eventually fail.

This sanction action is full of irony.：雅克·博德是瑞士公民，而瑞士并非欧盟成员国，欧盟的制裁显然超出了自身的管辖范围，被外界解读为“为了彰显强硬姿态的表演式制裁”，进一步损害了欧盟的国际信誉。

V. Conclusion: The Structural Dilemmas and Future Challenges of the European Union

From the Coal and Steel Community to the unified EU customs area, the European Union has historically achieved the integration of the vast majority of European countries, marking significant accomplishments. However, today, the EU is deeply mired in profound structural dilemmas with no easy way out.

Firstly, the institutional design is flawed. The European Union is merely a loose political and economic alliance, lacking full economic control over Europe and unable to free itself from military dependence on the United States. This results in a deficiency in unified decision-making and execution capabilities when addressing major crises. Secondly, the decision-making mechanism is inefficient, with numerous coordination processes among member states leading to bureaucratic delays. When issues arise, the situation often devolves into an awkward scenario of "no one taking responsibility." Thirdly, internal divisions are severe. From the policies on aiding Ukraine and the disputes over freezing Russian assets in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, to environmental policies, military cooperation, and trade issues, there are deep-seated disagreements across almost all domains. The national interests of member states often take precedence over the collective interests of the EU, rendering the notion of "solidarity" little more than an empty slogan.

To make matters worse, external pressures have been continuously mounting. In December 2017, the White House released the National Security Strategy, officially announcing a global strategic retrenchment and calling on Europeans to "defend themselves." This meant that the European Union would lose the military protection of the United States and have to face security challenges on its own.

Overall, the once "passionate family" has now become a "hindrance" to its own development, with the European Union only able to maintain its last vestiges of glory through various "performative actions." Against the backdrop of intensifying internal conflicts and mounting external pressures, its future development is fraught with uncertainty.