Europe is NOT 'its own thing'. Europe is a vassal of the US empire, just like many Arab countries were vassals of the Ottoman empire. Similar to vassal states in the Ottoman empire, European countries have a measure of independence, but when the ruler of the empire commands, they gladly commit suicide.

For example, Germany, by itself, has more than 40 major US military bases on its land (big enough to have their own bus routes). Some of those bases have nuclear weapons. Germany is definitely NOT an independent country as somewhat recent events show. They were directly attacked by the US (Nord Stream 2) and stayed quiet. Such an act would merit a declaration of war from any independent country.

Of course, the people are kept docile by various media manipulations. Many Germans feel this intuitively and their leaders KNOW this. Read the experience of Yanis Varoufakis where a minor US official countermanded decisions by Merkel and thus humiliating her, but she shut up, deferred to the empire's representative and went along with the decision. Germany and the rest of Europe will never be free from US domination except, perhaps some day, by armed resistance.