LONDON — The European Union needs to bolster its defense and security policies as the United States steps back from the region, according to the former vice chancellor of Germany.

After the August withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the EU began a process of soul searching. Soon after, Australia announced that it would be partnering with the United States and cancelled its submarine agreement with France. This agreement was described by EU and French officials as “a very important deal.” “stab in the back.”

Tensions between Europe & the U.S. are prompting calls in the EU to have a more robust defense policy that relies less on the United States.

CNBC’s Sigmar Gabriel told CNBC that Europe must learn how to think strategically. He is a former German vice-chancellor and foreign affairs minister. The Brits did this task in the past, and the Americans were able to finish it off a little. We now have to be able to accomplish this task ourselves.

EU is made up of 27 member nations. The EU has a system where the powers are divided at both the EU-wide and country levels. When it comes to security and defense — just like for health and fiscal policy — decisions are still taken by national governments.

Furthermore, most EU members are represented in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (a security alliance). This has not made it necessary for the EU to coordinate strongly in this area.

Gabriel stated that “the Europeans have to understand that Joe Biden’s slogan, “America is back,” does not mean the old America that has been representing international European interests for over 70 years,” Gabriel added.

Biden’s foreign policy has focused particularly on China. That has been evident from statements at NATO and G-7 level.

“The U.S. wants a leading role in the defense of democracies against the advent of authoritarian regimes, but it will be much more concentrated on the Indo-Pacific region and the transatlantic alliance will have many things to care about — but the smallest of [them]He added that all is the Atlantic.”

However, this geopolitical shift of the United States opens up opportunities for the European Union (EU) to expand its influence elsewhere. 

“Europe needs to consider how the vacuum can be filled.” [now]The U.S. has been leaving the Middle East, north Africa and the south Mediterranean Sea. The only countries that can fill the vacuum are Turkey, Russia and Iran, which are authoritarian states. [United] Arab Emirates — even China, all want to spread their influence in the region. Gabriel explained that only the Europeans have very little to contribute.

His view is that the EU should not become militarily active, but rather need “a common security policy and defense policy.”