Just as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has entered its second year, the two giants of Europe, France and Germany, have fallen into the center of the vortex and become the object of accusations from all sides. France's Macron's remarks that "he may consider sending troops to Ukraine" were the first to cause an uproar and challenge his role as a core member of the European Union.
Germany, meanwhile, has been questioned over a highly sensitive leak of military talks. According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, citing the United States' "Wall Street**", a recording of a conversation within the German side was unexpected, which mentioned that British, French and American personnel have been secretly supporting Ukraine and assisting in the operation of advanced combat systems provided by the West, although the three countries have not publicly admitted this.
The leak not only provoked strong indignation at the German leadership, but could also trigger a new round of tensions between Germany and NATO allies.
The exact details of how the recording was intercepted have not yet been clarified, but the German leak may not be a simple coincidence at a time when France is facing serious challenges to its position as Europe's leader due to opposition from many Western countries for its Ukraine-related remarks.
In order to clear up the differences with France, Germany has decisively stated that it has no intention of sending troops to Ukraine, and has made a cut from Macron's remarks in an effort to create a rational and cautious diplomatic image.
The leaks that followed revealed that Germany was not calm internally, and there was even an in-depth discussion of providing Ukraine with a strike on the Crimean bridge.
This series of events caused the image of Germany to collapse in an instant, which had been carefully constructed as a calm and rational country, and shocked the international community.
Against the backdrop of disputes between France and Germany, the Ukraine crisis has created a leadership vacuum within the European Union, which has invisibly strengthened the position of the United States as a potential beneficiary. In the face of the unreliability shown by Germany and France in dealing with the crisis, European countries have come to realize that following their guidance could pose a huge risk and could even push the whole of Europe to the brink of war.
Despite the controversy surrounding U.S. surveillance around the world, it undoubtedly provides more security in times of crisis than Germany and France combined, so European countries may still be inclined to seek U.S. support in the event of a major crisis.
From the perspective of interest driven, it is not impossible for the United States to exert some kind of "** influence" behind this turmoil. For example, Macron's remarks may be difficult to manipulate by the United States, but the United States, which has always been known for global surveillance and is especially keen to spy on the secrets of its allies, is very likely to be the driving force behind the leakage of the content of the German dialogue.
Historical memory is still fresh in the past, as early as when Biden was the deputy **, the United States was exposed to the surveillance of then German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Therefore, the possibility that the United States will continue to eavesdrop on Germany and leak secrets cannot be ignored.
At present, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has reached a stalemate, and the Western world has tried to prevent Russia from winning but cannot tolerate its complete defeat, which has exacerbated the rift within Europe. And this is precisely what the United States does not want to see, and it desperately hopes that the European countries will closely unite under the baton of the United States to act together.
Weakening the leadership of Germany and France in Europe and shifting the United States to direct control of European affairs became a potential strategic option. The United States, with its influence over most of the EU's member states, can indirectly constrain Germany and France through these countries, forcing them to move in step with the United States and ultimately achieve the way the war ends in the United States' desired way, rather than prioritizing solutions that serve Europe's interests.
In its quest to end the war, the United States does not care about Europe's interests, but may deliberately create problems that will plague the continent for a long time like a heavy yoke. The U.S. approach is designed to ensure its own dominance in conflict resolution at the expense of Europe's well-being.