Luxembourg's Bettel Says EU Must Reduce Reliance on Outside Powers

(MENAFN) Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel sounded the alarm Sunday over Europe's strategic vulnerabilities, calling for deeper continental self-reliance and tighter coordination among allies in the face of mounting geopolitical pressure.

Bettel delivered his remarks to media on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held in the southern Turkish province of Antalya, where he argued that the European Union must decisively reduce its reliance on external powers — while keeping its international partnerships intact.

"If we check, the European Union has been dependent on a lot of things: Russian gas, security from the United States, and even masks during the COVID period from China," he said. "It is important that Europe learns that it is important to have partnerships, but it is terrible if you are dependent on someone."

Bettel pushed for "more autonomy, in economy, in industry … but also in security," and characterized remarks delivered by US Vice President JD Vance in Munich as "a bit of a wake-up call."

On the long-held assumption of guaranteed American protection, Bettel was candid: "We were always thinking it was granted that the Americans would be the defenders of Europe because of NATO."

He was careful, however, to frame autonomy not as a break from alliances, but as essential resilience: "It continues to be that way, but it is also important that we are not dependent, so we could be ready to defend ourselves, be stronger with partners, but also ready for the moment we might not have them."

'Decisions must be taken together'
Turning to the volatile triangle of tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran, Bettel made a pointed case for collective decision-making within frameworks like NATO and the EU.

"It is a fact that I think it is important to make decisions together," he said. "When a country decides, especially when you invoke NATO, Article 5 is there when one country is attacked."

Bettel did not mince words on recent military developments, stating that "Israel and the United States started the attacks on Iran," before adding: "Iran is an unstable, unpredictable partner, but when you decide something, you cannot afterwards say others have to solve the problem."

He made clear where Luxembourg stands on alliance protocol: "I would prefer to be involved since the beginning, so we would make decisions together as the European Union, as NATO," he said. "But afterwards it is difficult."

Acknowledging Luxembourg's modest military footprint — an army of roughly 800 soldiers — Bettel nonetheless insisted that all allies must own the outcomes of shared decisions.

"For me, when you make decisions, you also have to be responsible for the consequences," he said. "Partnership means asking, 'Can we count on you?'(—not just saying,) 'We did it, now please come.'"

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