The Daily Signal - Europe’s Iran Schizophrenia on Full Display Now | Victor Davis Hanson

Episode Date: March 18, 2026

Europe is deathly afraid of a nuclear Iran, but it does not want to do anything about it. What explains this European schizophrenia? President Donald Trump has a simple, straightforward request of America’s so‑called European allies: While the U.S. uses all of its assets to disarm a common threat to the West, could they send a few ships to help patrol the Strait of Hormuz? By and large, the answer has been a resounding “no.” That is notable, Victor Davis Hanson points out on today’s edition of Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words, considering it was not too long ago that the United States set aside its own diplomatic interests to help Britain in its mission retake the Falkland Islands from Argentina. (01:16) Bases and Allied Reluctance (03:06) Missile Defense and NATO Burden (04:21) Why Europe Hesitates (08:25) The Final Irony 👉 The Daily Signal cannot continue to tell stories, like this one, without the support of our viewers: http://dailysignal.com/donate 👉Don’t miss out on Victor’s latest short videos by subscribing to The Daily Signal today. You’ll be notified every time a new piece of content drops: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1⁠  Also on Spotify: https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL9753340027  👉Want more VDH? Watch Victor’s weekly, hour-long podcast, “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words,” now! Subscribe to his YouTube channel, and enable notifications:  https://www.youtube.com/@victordavishanson7273?sub_confirmation=1 👉More exclusive content is available on Victor’s website: https://victorhanson.com00:00 Europe and Iran Puzzle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When West Jet first took flight in 1996, the vibes were a bit different. People thought denim on denim was peak fashion, inline skates were everywhere, and two out of three women rocked, the Rachel. While those things stayed in the 90s, one thing that hasn't is that fuzzy feeling you get when WestJet welcomes you on board. Here's to Westjetting since 96. Travel back in time with us and actually travel with us at westjet.com slash 30 years. What is it with the fickle Europeans? I know that they have different interests than ours,

but we're both Western entities you think that we'd be more collaborative on Iran. This gets back to the United States who pays an inordinate amount of the NATO budget, and it keeps having to harken, hammer. Please, please defend yourself. This is in your interest. Don't they have a fear of Iran? I mean, there was a joint missile defense project. Obama canceled it in that infamous quid pro quo hot mic conversation

where he made a deal with the Russians to give him space so he could get reelected. He would dismantle the Czech and Polish project to have missile defense. That was primarily for protection of Europe. The United States was going to pay a great deal of it. Protection from Iran. They are scared the death of a nuclear Iran, but they don't want to do anything about it. What's going on? What explains this European schizophrenia?

Hello, this is Victor Davis Hansen for the Daily Signal. What is it with the fickle Europeans? I know that they have different interests than ours, but we're both Western entities. you think that we'd be more collaborative on the effort to disarm and denuclearize Iran. But a lot of strange things are happening. The traditional use of the Diego Garcia critical air base in the Indian Ocean run by the British, but often leased to us and allowed us to have a very valuable base for our long-range bombers, the British initially refused to allow us to use it,

and then only under conditions that it would be used for defensive purposes. I don't know what that means. But I think they forgot the 1982 Falklands War. They were in big trouble going all way across the world to attack a country in the Western Hemisphere. We were trying to be unfriendly relationships so that they wouldn't join the other communist nations. And, of course, we offered them 2 million gallons.

of gasoline. We offered them the use of a carrier if they needed it. We gave them sophisticated intelligence without the United States help. They would have had a very hard time retaken. So what's happened? And then Spain has said that we can't use at all the NATO base there in Spain. Macron and France and Mertz in Germany have also said they want, they've expressed reservations. Trump is now trying to say, you know, we're using all of our assets to disarm this common threat to the West, could you just send a few ships to help us patrol these Straits of Moos and they're reluctant? This gets back to the United States who pays an inordinate amount of the NATO budget and it keeps having to, you know, to harken, hammer. Please, please defend yourself.

We're here to help you, but we're across the ocean three thousand miles away and this is in your interests. And he, you know, this is the third time Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. So don't they have a fear of Iran? I mean, there was a joint missile defense project. Obama canceled it in that infamous quid pro quo hot mic conversation where he made a deal with the Russians to give him space so he could get reelected. He would dismantle the Czech and Polish project to have missile defense. That was primarily for the protection of Europe. The United States was going to pay a great deal of it, protection from Iran. So what's going on? What explains this European schizophrenia that they want to be an ally, but they don't want to be an ally. They are scared to death of a nuclear

Iran, but they don't want to do anything about it. They want the United States to handle it, but they want the United States to handle it and keep them out of it. But most of their oil comes from the Middle East or North Africa, so they are adamant that they want the supply. eyes, reliable. They want the straightover moves open. They want the United States to ensure that. They want the United States to clear the Red Sea of Houthi attacks. We know all that, but they're not there when we need them at all in a very, you know, a very reasonable request. And so why is this? Well, I think there's a lot of reasons. I think they've made some disastrous internal and external choices and their policies.

First of all, Germany has 16% of its population are immigrants that weren't born in Germany. The vast majority of them are unassimilated, unaculturated, unintegrated Muslims. Many of them are most under the Angela Merkel policy.

She was the German version of Alejandro Mayorkas who opened the border and pretty much enacted this destructive policy. And other countries at 6 to 10 to 12%. But the key is there's a force multiplier of these open border illegal immigration policy, and that is the Muslim communities that immigrate are more radical often than the countries they left that were radical enough. They don't want to be part of the West.

They feel that their birth rate and their increased immigration will soon swamp these European governments, and the European governments are terrified of them. So on key issues of concern to the West to emasculate Iran, there are. afraid to say anything, and they're afraid to express support for Israel because these internal populations within the continent will turn on them or they won't get their votes. The second disastrous policy was green energy. Germany and other countries, with exception of France, have either put on hold or dismantled their coal plants. In the case of Germany, they had to restart them because they disarmed or displaced their nuclear facilities. They don't want to tap the huge natural gas deposits that are thought to be in continental Europe. They are not looking

for new sources of offshore oil. They don't want any fossil fuels, no natural gas, unless we import it, they don't want to develop themselves. And the result is their energy is two or three times more expensive than their economic competitors, and they're captives of the Middle East and Russia for energy. So that is effective. their political independence. Third, they thought they were at the end of history after the fall of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. So they thought they were in some type of disarmament utopia.

So they more or less disarmed. So here we are with tiny little Israel with 11 million, 10 million people, and they have 300 frontline aircraft fighters, jets that are flying every day with some of the best pilots in the world. They have more fighters than are now. our key trio of NATO partners, more than Germany, more than France, more than Great Britain. Of course, we know about European fertility. Ours is bad enough at 1.6, 5. There's is down to 1.3 and 4 in some countries. And 1.1. There's been a new credo in Europe

that you're not going to have children that good life is too precious. Why waste it raising children? And, of course, socialism is not sustainable. They have this huge, socialist safety net, which is exacerbated by millions of impoverished Middle East people coming in illegally who demand entitlements and sort of threaten their host. They're not very gracious immigrants. And you put it all together and you get European schizophrenia. And what is that schizophrenia? It's quietly whispering to the United States, help us, help us. You've got to make sure that Russia doesn't go further west in Ukraine. whether you're going, all seven presidents before you, Mr. Trump.

They've all worried about the Iranian nuclear ballistic missile crisis. We're closer than you are. We can't keep appeasing them. They hate us as much as they hate you. Who is going to do something? Please, Mr. President. And then publicly, oh, we're very disturbed. This is very disturbing.

This is very dangerous. I don't think that we really want to be actively a participant. And the final irony, Europe's got a bigger population than we do. 450 million people and its GDP is about the size of China. So it's got huge resources and potential, even under its socialist and green energy policies, even with its open borders, even with its low fertility, with all of those crises that are self-inflicted, it still could arm itself and be a full partner. and yet it will not do it, and therefore it knows it should do it,

and it knows there's things that must be done, and it wants them done, but it wants the United States to do it, so at the same time it can criticize them and triangulate against its own savior. It's a tragic and really, to be honest, pathetic situation. Thank you very much. This is Victor Davis-Hanson for the Daily Signal. Thank you for tuning in to the Daily Signal. Please like, share, and subscribe to be notified for more content like this.

You can also check out my own website at victorhansan.com and subscribe for exclusive features in addition. Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything, like packing a spare stick. I like to be prepared. That's why I remember 988 Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 988 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada.