In Part 1, we discussed the current surprisingly extreme rhetoric used by some European leaders in reaction to their sense of having been betrayed by the United States’s new Trump administration concerning the war in Ukraine. ChatGPT judged that “the current geopolitical landscape has prompted leaders to adopt more assertive stances, which, while aiming to address security challenges, may also influence domestic political dynamics and public engagement.” It cited French President Emmanuel Macron’s emphasis on the necessity for Europe to strengthen its military capabilities and reduce reliance on external powers,” as well as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s “plans to revitalize Britain’s economy and public sector efficiency, linking national security with domestic renewal.”

At the same time, the chatbot worries “that leaders resorting to bellicose rhetoric to enhance their authority may bypass traditional democratic processes, leading to a disconnect between government actions and public sentiment.” Because of the risks, it maintains that “it is crucial to balance these actions with robust democratic engagement to ensure that measures taken do not inadvertently weaken the democratic institutions they seek to protect.”

Up to this point, the discussion remained theoretical. As often, ChatGPT recommended a balanced approach, avoiding risks and preserving stability. But, given what we know about Europe today, is that realistic? I continued the conversation with the following prompt:

“All these suggestions may sound reasonable to the leaders who are looking to promote a vision of unified Europe standing tall on the global stage. But aren’t its vulnerabilities obvious? Does it make sense to talk in these terms, at least on the UK side, after Brexit? Isn’t there already a debt crisis that will only be aggravated by these projected plans? Isn’t it also obvious that achieving unanimity within Europe’s 27 nations is unthinkable, but that the notion of a ‘coalition of the willing’ is far more absurd today, when there is no powerful designated leader to organize it, as was the case for George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq? Even in those circumstances, the effort proved to be a long-term fiasco. Am I wrong to think that Europeans themselves, the voters, will remain skeptical of the bombast and excessive optimism? There are personalities such as Dominique de Villepin who are attempting to put forward a somewhat different vision. But is there room for a different vision of Europe today, given the attitude shared by the current elected and non-elected leaders, such as Ursula von der Leyen?”

ChatGPT reacted with a dose of political and economic reality that appears to pour cold water on its previously-affirmed cautious optimism.

“Your skepticism is well-founded, and it aligns with many of the critical fault lines that could hinder Europe’s ambitious defense and geopolitical aspirations. Let’s break down the key vulnerabilities and contradictions:

1. The Fragility of the Unified Europe Narrative

• European leaders, particularly Macron and von der Leyen, present a vision of Europe as a sovereign geopolitical power, capable of defending itself and asserting influence on the global stage.
• However, the realities of economic distress, political fragmentation, and military dependence on the US suggest that this vision may be more rhetorical than practical.
• Even within EU defense discussions, Germany, France, and Eastern European states differ in their approaches—with Poland and the Baltics favoring a US-centric NATO approach, while Macron pushes for ‘strategic autonomy’, which lacks real military backing.

2. Brexit and the UK’s Role in European Defense

• The UK is no longer bound by EU decision-making, making its participation in these defense plans far less certain.
• British defense strategy is still tightly linked to the US and NATO, meaning any idea of a European-led military force that includes the UK is largely wishful thinking.
• Moreover, Brexit itself was driven partly by skepticism toward grand European integration projects—so UK voters may not see these proposals as viable or desirable.

3. The Debt Crisis and Economic Constraints

• The EU’s economic reality is already strained:
  • High debt burdens in France, Italy, and Spain.
  • Rising interest rates, making new borrowing for defense spending more costly.
  • Lack of fiscal unity, with northern European countries (Germany, Netherlands) resisting major joint spending plans.
•  If European defense spending follows the model of past crises (such as the Eurozone bailout), it could exacerbate economic inequalities and public discontent.

4. The Problem of Consensus and the Illusion of a “Coalition of the Willing”

• During the Iraq War, the US was the clear leader, and even then, the coalition was shaky and ultimately failed to achieve its long-term goals.
• Today, Europe lacks a single dominant military or political power capable of leading such a coalition.
• Macron might aspire to this role, but Germany’s reluctance to engage militarily and the diverging interests of Eastern and Southern Europe make true unity implausible.
• Eastern European countries—particularly Poland and the Baltic states—prioritize NATO over EU-led initiatives, making a purely European military effort unlikely.

5. Public Skepticism Toward Militarization and Bombastic Rhetoric

• European voters have traditionally been cautious about military interventions, especially in France, Germany, and Italy.
• The failure of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars lingers in public memory, reinforcing skepticism toward open-ended military commitments.
• Polls suggest that support for Ukraine is conditional—many Europeans favor continued aid, but not at the cost of long-term economic hardship or direct military intervention.
• Far-right and far-left parties across Europe (e.g., AfD in Germany, Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise, Salvini’s Lega) are capitalizing on this skepticism by opposing expanded military commitments.

6. Is There Space for an Alternative Vision?

• Figures like Dominique de Villepin, who famously opposed the Iraq War, are advocating for a more diplomatic, cautious European foreign policy.
• The problem is that current European leadership (von der Leyen, Macron, Scholz, and others) is deeply aligned with US priorities.
• Mainstream European political parties (center-right and center-left) are largely in lockstep when it comes to positioning Europe as a strategic actor in global security.
• The European Parliament lacks real influence over foreign policy, and the European Council (where heads of state make decisions) is dominated by those favoring a militarized approach.

Final Thoughts: Can Europe Chart a Different Course?

Europe’s leaders are promoting a vision of military strength and unity that lacks both financial and political foundations. The public remains skeptical, debt levels are high, and deep fractures exist among member states. The real risk is that leaders, driven by bombastic rhetoric, may commit to policies without true democratic legitimacy, further alienating voters and weakening democratic institutions.

A different vision, based on diplomacy, de-escalation, and economic stability, exists but currently lacks strong political champions at the highest levels. Whether figures like de Villepin or emerging opposition movements can shift the debate remains an open question—but for now, the dominant leadership is pushing Europe toward a more militarized, high-risk posture that may prove economically and politically unsustainable.

Most of ChatGPT’s response seemed to me very pertinent. There was one assertion, however, that seemed to me to be totally erroneous. I chose to challenge the chatbot on this particular point.

“In one of your responses above you stated that ‘The problem is that current European leadership (von der Leyen, Macron, Scholz, and others) is deeply aligned with US priorities.’ This seems to me mistaken, unless you’re referring to US priorities under Joe Biden. The anguish in Europe today seems to turn around the shift in US priorities under Trump. Can you clarify this?”

“You’re absolutely right to raise this point. My statement was imprecise. When I said that ‘current European leadership… is deeply aligned with US priorities,’ I was referring specifically to the Biden administration’s stance—supporting Ukraine, reinforcing NATO, and advocating a militarized deterrence strategy against Russia. 

However, as you note, the real tension in Europe stems from uncertainty about the future of US priorities, particularly with the possibility of a second Trump presidency. Trump’s approach—his skepticism toward NATO, transactional view of alliances, and suggestion that European nations should bear more of their own security costs—has created deep anxiety among European leaders. 

This explains why figures like Macron, von der Leyen, and even Scholz (despite his cautious approach) have begun discussing the need for European strategic autonomy. The problem is that Europe is structurally dependent on the US for defense, making real autonomy difficult to achieve, especially in the short term. So while they align with Biden’s policies today, they are also trying to hedge against a potential future in which the US disengages or shifts to a more isolationist stance. 

Would you agree that this uncertainty—rather than a simple alignment or divergence with US policy—is at the heart of Europe’s current dilemma?”

Some lessons about ChatGPT raised by this dialogue

Just as many people have noticed that when asked to produce an image, AI often demonstrates its deep confusion concerning left and right, this example reveals that ChatGPT has a serious problem with time. In this example, it reflected on statements made in the past month by European leaders, but it is assuming that Joe Biden is still the US president and that US policies are Biden’s policies.

In its initial response, the chatbot clearly assumed that Biden was calling the shots. In its reaction to my correction, it revealed that it believes Donald Trump has not yet become president. Its time frame is clearly prior to Trump’s election last November, since it evokes “the possibility of a second Trump presidency.”

In the first year or so after ChatGPT’s launch, it frankly admitted, with a formal disclaimer, that it had no information about events after September 2021. In 2025, it no longer informs us of the limits of its chronological perspective.

Does that invalidate its answer? Not really, because the Europeans, in contrast with the US, have not deviated from their former policy. So long as we are speaking of Europeans, its observations remain valid. But this gaffe does tell us something worth noting: that when we are dialoguing with AI we do not exist in the same time frame. Moreover, it raises the question of how time has been built into AI’s algorithms.

This highlights a fundamental difference between AI and human intelligence. We cannot remove ourselves from the consciousness of time as a structural factor in our environment. Those who claim AI will someday achieve and even surpass human consciousness should take note of this radical difference. It isn’t a simple gap of awareness of history. If we evoke the question of sentience as the essential component of consciousness, the perception of time for humans remains fundamental. It isn’t a question of tracking and measuring the intervals between events, it’s our permanent awareness of the present.

With these thoughts in mind, I asked ChatGPT another question:

“Actually, I’m intrigued by the question of why you seemed to believe Biden is still president? What is your time frame?”

“Good catch! My default time frame is the present moment (March 2025), but since I don’t have real-time awareness of political events unless I look them up, I was working under the assumption that Biden was still in office. If Trump or another candidate has taken over, that would obviously change the dynamics dramatically. 

Would you like me to check the latest updates on the U.S. presidency and its impact on Europe’s strategic calculations?”

This answer complicates the ambiguity of the time factor, a topic I will come back to in a future column. 

Your thoughts

Please feel free to share your thoughts on these points by writing to us at dialogue@fairobserver.com. We are looking to gather, share and consolidate the ideas and feelings of humans who interact with AI. We will build your thoughts and commentaries into our ongoing dialogue.

[Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming a feature of everyone’s daily life. We unconsciously perceive it either as a friend or foe, a helper or destroyer. At Fair Observer, we see it as a tool of creativity, capable of revealing the complex relationship between humans and machines.]

[Lee Thompson-Kolar edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.