A vassal state is one that retains some autonomy at home but is effectively dominated by another power in its foreign affairs.

By that definition, have Europe (particularly the EU), Australia, Canada and New Zealand all but surrendered their independence to the US, especially under the Trump administration? The recent US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites — conducted in support of Israel — suggest that might be the case.

Eldar Mamedov of the Quincy Institute observes that Europe’s tepid remarks on these strikes “have revealed a vassalisation so profound that the European capitals now willingly undermine both international law and their own strategic interests". He argues that EU leaders betray global norms not for clear gains but out of what he calls “reflexive obedience".

That obedience is on full display in the joint statement from the E3 (France, Germany and the UK):

“We reiterate our commitment to peace and stability…We affirm our support for the security of Israel. …the United States has conducted targeted military strikes against nuclear facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. Our aim remains preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon…We stand ready to negotiate…We urge Iran not to take any further action that could destabilise the region.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was quick to echo Washington: “The world has long agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon, and we support action to prevent that.” Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney likewise praised the US strikes as necessary to “alleviate the threat” posed by Tehran’s program. And in Wellington, Foreign Minister Winston Peters affirmed New Zealand’s consistent opposition to an Iranian bomb and — citing the US claim of collective self-defence under the UN Charter — offered only mild caveats.

The collective obedience of the Western allies to Trump is not just limited to the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities and its aftermath. Recall how Trump treated his allies at the recently concluded G7 summit. Writes C.P. Chandrasekhar:

“For the second time across two terms, US President Donald Trump has walked out of a summit of the G7 the grouping of dominant countries in the capitalist world. The last time it was in a fit of pique and this time in an act of demonstration.”

He continues: “The message is clear from the Trump administration. It has little use for the G7 and wants all-round submission and acceptance of its economic and political demands. What is surprising is the willingness of Europe and the rest of the G7 to go along. The fig-leaf of collective leadership of global capitalism has been dropped”.

At the NATO summit, the flattery showered on Trump by NATO chief Mark Rutte and others made one cringe. Sylvia Kaufmann of Le Monde notes with considerable dismay:

“…in Europe, nothing is too lavish when it comes to flattering Donald Trump’s ego. That is why the US president spent the night of 24 June in the royal apartments of… the palace of the king of the Netherlands. He was the only head of state attending the NATO summit in The Hague to have the honour.”

Contrast today’s cloying collective behaviour of the Western allies with 2003, when France and Germany openly opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and Canada’s Jean Chrétien flatly refused to join without UN approval. Back then, Western capitals were unafraid to defy Washington on principle. Even today, some countries in the EU, such as Spain, refuses to play the game of pleasing Trump.

Meanwhile, the West’s moral authority in the Global South is eroding. At the UN Security Council, Russia’s envoy accused the US of “wholesale disregard” for international law and the UN Charter. China, Russia and Pakistan even drafted a resolution condemning the strikes and demanding an unconditional ceasefire in the Israel-Iran war— only to have Trump later declare he had brokered a truce.

Once again, Washington has blindsided its Western allies. They had no option but to endorse the Trump-led ceasefire. Whether launching military action or announcing a sudden ceasefire, or treating G7 and NATO summits with disdain, the US acts unilaterally. Its partners can only clutch their statements and echo its line – vassals in all but name.

A longer version of this essay is available at the author’s website.

The views expressed here are strictly personal.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.