Parliament official warns of potential shifts in EU if US withdraws from European security

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday expressed concerns over potential tectonic shifts in the European Union if the United States withdraws from European security matters.

In his remarks, Samkharadze emphasised the pivotal role of the United States in ensuring stability and economic prosperity within the EU.

“The European Union was interesting because it was a space of peace and continuous economic growth. The guarantor of this stability was the United States. If the US decides to withdraw from Europe’s security framework, it will lead to major tectonic shifts within the EU”, the Parliament official said.

He further highlighted the direct connection between security and economic prosperity, arguing that without guaranteed security, sustainable economic development is impossible. Samkharadze pointed out that while NATO serves as the formal security structure, its strength is fundamentally reliant on the US.

“If we remove the US from NATO, there will be nothing left of NATO. This is why Europe is in a state of uncertainty today. If the US steps back and leaves Europe to handle its own security, it will cause significant changes within the EU itself”, he noted.

Regarding Georgia’s EU aspirations, Samkharadze reaffirmed the country’s commitment to joining the bloc by 2030. However, he raised doubts about the EU’s own readiness for enlargement by that time.

“We have not changed our course. We still declare that we will be ready for EU membership in 2030. But the question now is different - will the EU itself be ready for enlargement and to accept new members by then?” he concluded.