So the world has changed within one month

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Von: WOM

In the first weeks of his second term, President Donald Trump pursues an extraordinary goal: the reduction of the global system that the United States has built up in the past 80 years. The possibility that the West could lose influence was theoretically given, especially in view of the more and more recent memories of World War II and the Cold War. But it came as a surprise to see a US president who approaches these achievements with the ax.

Europe's shock about Trump

After Trump's election victory, some western diplomats in Washington had the feeling that their governments knew how to deal with a president who often made foreign policy during his first term. But the shock that led European managers to an emergency meeting in Paris this week indicates that they underestimated the destructive effects of Trump's second term.

  • Trump has reversed the US policy in the Ukraine conflict and takes the attacker instead of the attacked party. He joins the positions of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and tries to deny Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj.
  • be Vice President JD vance traveled to Munich , where he described European leaders as "tyrants", suppressed conservative thinking, and Germany urged to reduce the political "fire protection wall" that it built to prevent fascists from ever getting back to power.
  • Minister of Defense Pete Hegseth The Europeans, now "to take responsibility for conventional security on the continent" , which directly questioned the basic principle of NATO: that of mutual self -defense.

America's departure from traditional foreign policy

The rejection of America's traditional foreign policy is promoted by Trump's personal obsessions and broader geopolitical changes. The United States remain the strongest power in the world, but they no longer have the ability to force others - like China - to follow their rules. In fact, we are now dealing with a president who has no intention to respect economic, commercial or diplomatic rules and even threaten the annexation of Canada.

In addition, the new administration is actively looking for friendly democracies to destabilize and promote a global movement of right populism. Vance's speech warned that European governments more at risk their own security than China or Russia due to their political freedom and immigration. He also met the leader of the AfD, a right -wing extremist party in Germany with neo -Nazi roots, and tried to support the right -wing extremists in other countries such as France and Great Britain, which challenge their governments. Trump prefers to negotiate with like-minded people as part of a "Make Europe Great Again" (Mega) movement than with the currently governing centrists.

Europe's options given the US policy

Given the emerging enemy attitude of America - the country that rebuilt the continent after the Second World War - the question arises as to what Europe can do now. President Emmanuel Macron has long warned from his experience with Trump during the first term that Europe had to recognize that America had become an unreliable partner. In view of doubts about the US military commitment to their allies, NATO member states have no other options than to increase their already lean arms expenditure.

This will be painful, as many European governments are already fighting with their households and are under immense pressure to maintain their social welfare systems. The agreement of all member states of the European Union on a more independent course will be challenging at the same time. Some countries in the former zone of influencing Moscow - such as Poland and the Baltic States - are very aware of the Russian threat, while smaller Western European countries perceive the danger as rather distant. In addition, there are also some guides in the EU who would support Trump to split western alliance, as the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Trump has already changed the world in just 31 days in office.

What can be expected in the coming week

Provided that there are no big surprises, Ukraine will remain the central international topic. We may find out more about the prospect of a peace treaty to terminate the war and its implementation when Macron visits the White House on Monday and British Prime Minister Keir Streamer will follow him on Thursday. These visits will be crucial to show whether there is room for working between the USA and Europe in the war-after the continent was excluded from the US talks in Saudi Arabia with Russia this week. Both Britain and France say that they are willing to send troops to Ukraine to monitor a possible peace, but it is difficult to imagine that such an operation can take place from the USA without support. Is Trump ready to do this and to annoy Moscow, which has already ruled out that foreign troops enter Ukraine?

also look next week whether one of the leaders appears in the Oval Office and offers to increase their own defense spending to impress your host. Macron plans to use his visit to "insert steel into the spine after the latest round of his submissiveness towards Putin" and to address his highly developed sense of power. "I will say to Trump: 'You can't be weak to Putin deep inside, that's not you, that's not your brand," said Macron.

The United Kingdom is no longer in the European Union, but this week has coordinated with Macron and other heads of state from the EU. Strander strives to restore the former role of the United Kingdom as a bridge between the United States and Europe. But there is a problem: Trump does not cross bridges, he burns it.