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The recent visit of European Union leaders to Washington, D.C., where they accompanied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House, sent a powerful yet troubling message to the world. Not only were they uninvited, but their presence raised serious questions about Europe’s confidence, autonomy, and global standing.
U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to meet exclusively with Zelensky, seeking feedback from his earlier talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Yet EU leaders, including the President of the European Commission, chose to insert themselves into the moment, not to assert strength, but to request security guarantees from the United States for Europe itself.
This move was not just diplomatically awkward, it was geopolitically revealing. Europe, once seen as a pillar of strength and strategic stability, appeared at the White House negotiating from a position of weakness.
Even more symbolic was the reception they received. Rather than being welcomed by Trump himself, they were greeted by a junior protocol officer. Instead of entering through the main entrance, they were ushered in through a side door. These gestures were not accidental. They were a signal, subtle but unmistakable, that Europe no longer commands the respect it once did.
Europe is visibly unsettled, not just by the war in Ukraine, but by the deeper fragility of its own political architecture. The anxiety runs deeper than borders and battlegrounds; it touches the very foundation of the European project.
For centuries, Europe positioned itself as the global benchmark: a continent of political freedom, economic prosperity, and social cohesion. As Josep Borrell once proudly proclaimed:
But today, the garden is wilting.
Political freedom is under siege.
Economic prosperity is increasingly precarious.
Social cohesion is fraying at the edges.
And in its fear of Russia, Europe reveals just how exposed it has become. The continent that once exported stability now finds itself negotiating from a place of vulnerability, seeking protection, rather than projecting power. The cracks are no longer beneath the surface. They are visible, widening, and impossible to ignore.
For centuries, Africa has been cast as the weaker partner, divided, dependent, and destabilized. Even after the wave of political independence, European powers continued to shape African affairs from behind the curtain, resisting every step toward continental unity.
But today, as Europe falters, Africa must rise.
The leadership vacuum left by a disoriented European Union presents a rare and urgent opportunity for the African Union (AU) to assert itself, not as a junior partner, but as a sovereign force in global affairs. The moment demands boldness, clarity, and continental resolve.
Ironically, even as Europe’s influence wanes, Africa still perceives it as superior. This is a dangerous illusion. The same Europe that once carved up Africa for its own gain now struggles to preserve its own future. The myth of European infallibility must be dismantled, not with resentment, but with strategic clarity.
Yet here lies Africa’s most powerful lesson: Europe is strongest when it is united. When threatened, European leaders close ranks to defend their land, their people, and their peace.
Unity is not a luxury; it is a necessity. It is the foundation upon which Africa’s agency, prosperity, and global influence will be built. The mirror is clear. The question is whether Africa will recognize its reflection and rise to meet it.
The recent actions of European leaders, traveling uninvited to Washington to stand beside President Zelensky, revealed not only the fragility of the European Union but also the limitations of its current leadership. What was intended as a show of solidarity came across as submission: negotiating from a position of dependency, seeking protection rather than projecting strength.
For Africa, this moment is not just instructive, it is an opportunity.
When Europe feels threatened, it moves as one. It negotiates as one. It protects its territory as one. Now imagine if Africa did the same.
Take the current U.S. tariff war against South Africa. President Ramaphosa is fighting alone. But what if the entire African continent stood behind him? What if the African Union accompanied him to Washington, demanding fair trade terms on behalf of 1.4 billion Africans?
The United States has interests in Africa. If Africa were to reciprocate tariffs, the impact would be immediate. But instead, Africa remains divided, each country for itself, sometimes even against one another.
This is not just a missed opportunity. It is a strategic failure.
The EU’s leadership crisis creates a vacuum that Africa, through the African Union (AU), must seize. Instead of waiting for Europe to dictate terms, African leaders must rise with vision and unity.
Here are the urgent steps:
Accelerate Agenda 2063 – This is Africa’s roadmap to autonomy, prosperity, and industrialisation. Implementation must be urgent, uncompromising, and shielded from external distractions.
Negotiate as One – Imagine if, instead of South Africa fighting alone against U.S. tariffs, the entire continent stood behind President Ramaphosa. The results would be different, because the U.S. cannot afford to lose Africa’s markets and resources.
Defend Collective Interests – Just as the EU fights as a bloc, Africa must unite to protect its land, its resources, and its people from exploitation.
The weakness Europe shows today is the same weakness Africa has displayed for decades: disunity, dependency, and negotiating from a weaker position. The difference is that Africa still has time to turn the tide.
While Europe negotiates security guarantees for a war it isn’t fighting, Africa must stop playing the victim of history and start writing its own geopolitical script. The AU must rise, not as a reactive institution, but as a proactive force.
Africa’s path forward requires that it:
Unites behind common interests
Defends its land, its people, its resources, and its peace
Renegotiate partnerships with former colonizers on equal terms
Build institutions that reflect African priorities, not foreign agendas
The future of Africa lies in its unity, its leadership, and its strategic clarity.
The world is shifting. Power vacuums do not remain empty for long. Either Africa steps forward,or others will continue to define its destiny.
Europe’s leadership vacuum is not just a crisis for Europe; it is a signal for Africa. It is time to rise, restructure, and strengthen continental unity. Africa must no longer accept being fragmented and manipulated.
The African Union has the chance to transform this moment into a turning point. By uniting under a common strategy, Africa can move from a continent of passive followers to one of decisive global actors.
The world is shifting toward a multipolar order. If Africa does not claim its place now, it risks being sidelined once again. But if Africa unites, it can renegotiate win–win partnerships with its former colonisers and others, on its own terms.
