Hard to see EU muster a response against a United States which is prepared to wield its overwhelming dominance of financial, economic, technological and cultural systems to its own perceived advantage.

Europe needed a de Gaulle but the political class of the EU is dominated by a generation of leaders who have been indoctrinated into the global liberalist values which the US has itself now abandoned. Generational turnover needed, but that will be enough time for the US to permanently lock its advantage. It might have already done so.

The province of europa is at risk to become the playing-field for a great game.

Then again, it wont give up the learning-disabled dream of the world "society" being reform-able and law-governed. The architect of the Russia-debacle is still president of Germany.

I do believe in the society healing qualities of bankruptcy. Going broke has grounded so many people.