In a strategic article published on Monday (14 December), the EU chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, addressed a host of issues, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the JCPOA, and US President-elect Joe Biden’s stance.
In terms of dealing with the US, Borrell advocated making proposals instead of demands. He said the EU should find a way with the Biden administration to get Washington back into the Iran nuclear agreement and for Iran to return to full compliance.
Borrell noted that the election of Joe Biden in the United States opens up more encouraging prospects for multilateralism but warns that the EU “should not expect miracles”.
He further said the EU should continue to strengthen its defense and increase Europe’s operational engagement capabilities, particularly in its neighborhood.
Regarding the EU’s foreign policy, he said, “The impact of the COVID-19 crisis will closely depend on the decisions we take in the coming months.”
He suggested that “a strategically aware and more autonomous Europe is a better ally for the United States”.
The EU chief diplomat said the COVID-19 pandemic is the first global crisis since the start of the 20th century in which the United States has not played a leading role so far.
“Europe must act alone when necessary, but with others whenever possible,” he wrote, noting that even with Biden at the White House, it should not be expected that the EU and the US will agree on everything.
“It would be a waste of time to debate in abstract terms whether we should adopt an approach based on “European autonomy” or “transatlantic partnership”. These are two sides of the same coin: a strategically aware and more autonomous Europe is a better ally for the United States,” Borrell stated.
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