Europe Pushed to Stand Alone

Western Europe and America have been allies in two world wars, the Persian Gulf crises, and many other conflicts. However, the winds of change are blowing, and the possibility of a second Trump presidency has European leaders facing a new reality—that Europe’s future defense may be up to Europeans alone (Politico, January 16, 2024)!

The United States has been Europe’s “security blanket” since at least World War II. American nuclear weapons, tanks and aircraft, and over 100,000 American troops on Europe’s soil have given comfort to many European leaders. But with America’s waning support and a larger war looming in Europe, EU leaders are pushing to rapidly re-arm and increase their own nuclear capabilities. German European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber warned, “Europe must build deterrence, we must be able to deter and defend ourselves…. We all know that when push comes to shove, the nuclear option is the really decisive one” (Politico, January 25, 2024). “Germany's military has sketched out an ‘exercise scenario’ for its planners to contemplate. It envisions a Russian attack into the Suwalki Gap between Poland and Lithuania in the period between this year’s U.S. presidential election and early 2025” (Politico, January 24, 2024). The German defense minister recently warned that German experts expect Russia could attack a NATO member in the next five to eight years. Another observer noted, “As the history of the 20th century has shown, [European] democracies may be slow to turn to a war footing, but once they do, they’re difficult to match.”

Bible prophecy indicates that Germany will lead a powerful European configuration of nations at the end of the age. External threats and fading support from America may prod Germany to act. For more details about these developing events, see our booklet Germany in Prophecy.