Creating instability in a dangerous world
Donald Trump’s recent actions and behaviour risk more than rocking the accepted international order and stamping on democratic bridges built with allies over generations, it creates instability in a dangerous world. He and his vice president seem overly keen to criticise friends and allies while failing to recognise the dangers posed by Russia and other autocratic regimes. Their recent behaviour towards President Zelenskyy has shocked and appalled many observers, including in America
A Republican speaks
Republican columnist and commentator David Brooks said the following, after the White House mistreatment of the Ukrainian president on Friday:
“I was nauseated, just nauseated. All my life, I have had a certain idea of about America, that we’re a flawed country, but we’re fundamentally a force for good in the world, that we defeated Soviet Union, we defeated fascism, we did the Marshall Plan, we did PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) to help people live in Africa. And we make mistakes, Iraq, Vietnam, but they’re usually mistakes out of stupidity, naivete and arrogance.
“They’re not because we’re ill-intentioned. What I have seen over the last six weeks is the United States behaving vilely, vilely to our friends in Canada and Mexico, vilely to our friends in Europe. And today was the bottom of the barrel, vilely to a man who is defending Western values, at great personal risk to him and his countrymen.
“Donald Trump believes in one thing. He believes that might makes right. And, in that, he agrees with Vladimir Putin that they are birds of a feather. And he and Vladimir Putin together are trying to create a world that’s safe for gangsters, where ruthless people can thrive. And we saw the product of that effort today in the Oval Office.
“And I have — I first started thinking, is it — am I feeling grief? Am I feeling shock, like I’m in a hallucination? But I just think shame, moral shame. It’s a moral injury to see the country you love behave in this way.”
Under attack
Ukraine is under attack by Russia, a conflict that threatens not just one nation but also the stability of Europe and the democratic world. Countries like Poland, the Baltic states, and others in NATO, see Russia’s aggression as a direct threat to their own borders and freedoms. These are the very same nations that rallied to the US side after 9/11.
Yet, instead of honouring that mutual commitment, Trump seems to be dismissing their concerns, pointing to the “big ocean” between America and Europe. as if geography absolves the USA of responsibility. He has argued that we shouldn’t “waste money” on Ukraine, suggesting that their fight doesn’t affect them. That stance is short-sighted at the least.
NATO allies
On September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked commercial airliners and deliberately crashed them into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people, America was facing an unprecedented national security crisis. In response, the U.S. government sought the support of its allies through NATO, the military alliance established after WWII to ensure collective defence among its member states, primarily in North America and Europe.
NATO’s Article 5 is a solemn commitment enshrined in the alliance’s founding treaty: an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all, obligating every member to assist the targeted nation.
On September 12, 2001, the United States invoked Article 5, formally requesting that NATO recognize the 9/11 attacks as an assault on the entire alliance. This was an historic step, signalling the severity of the threat and the U.S.’s determination to respond with international backing.
The NATO allies unanimously agreed, affirming that the terrorist strikes constituted an attack on the collective security of the alliance. This invocation activated a unified response. It manifested through critical support such as intelligence sharing, air defence patrols over U.S. airspace, and logistical assistance. Trump’s rhetoric appears to treat global security like a transactional deal, not a sacred pact.
Allies coming together
The UK, the rest of Europe, Canada and other friends are coming together to find ways of dealing with this new reality. For Ukraine’s future freedom, the continued protection of democracy and the cultural values so long worked and fought for, we must hope that they find a path through the tumult of Trump.
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