Former European Commission President Jos\u00e9 Manuel Dur\u00e3o Barroso said Europe is being forced to rethink its role in the world as it faces an increasingly aggressive Russia and a less predictable United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking during a webinar hosted by the Funda\u00e7\u00e3o FHC, Barroso argued that the war in Ukraine and the return of President Donald Trump have accelerated Europe\u2019s push for greater strategic autonomy in defense and foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEuropeans have finally realized they can no longer behave like teenagers in geopolitics,\u201d Barroso said. \u201cThey must be capable of defending themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although the European Union\u2019s fragmented decision-making structure remains an obstacle, he said recent crises have pushed member states toward closer cooperation on security and defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEurope is waking up because of Putin and Trump,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Barroso, Trump has fundamentally altered the tone and dynamics of international politics, forcing Europe to reassess its relationship with Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou may like him or not, but Trump changed the grammar of politics and international relations,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the end, that pushes Europe to assert itself more independently on the world stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barroso, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin dozens of times during his years leading the European Commission, described the Kremlin leader as an autocrat driven less by ideology than by resentment over Russia\u2019s post-Cold War decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe believes Russia was humiliated after the collapse of the Soviet Union,\u201d Barroso said. \u201cSince he cannot confront the United States directly, he threatens Europe instead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That, he argued, makes Russia particularly dangerous. \u201cDeclining powers with nuclear capabilities may resort to force to reassert themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n