Trump is what happens when the rich invite a tiger to dinner on the arrogant assumption that they will not become part of the menu before the day is over.
I have waited a couple of days before writing about the new US Strategic National Security Report, because I was so incandescent with rage that I felt I could not apply my usual fair but objective approach to the matter until I calmed down a little. My anger, it has to be said, goes far beyond the Trump imbecilic approach to foreign policy. It goes to my bitter disappointment with both the UK government and the EU for their abject failure to address what has been evident long before Trump returned to office.
Europe has applied the same ‘just in time’ approach to foreign policy as it has to trade, which seems the height of stupidity to me. It has long been deaf to Trump’s ambitions, which he clearly shared in his first term, a vision expanded upon in Project 2025 and JD Vance’s scolding of European leaders in Munich in February of this year. The intent of this administration could not have been more apparent if they had written it in neon lights on the outside of the European Parliament building. Yet UK and EU leaders have persisted with this pathetic impersonation of an abused spouse, believing that they could change the mindset of their abuser.
Never have nations been so wilfully deaf and blind to the ‘bleeding obvious’ than European leaders and NATO. It quite literally beggars belief. The real tragedy in all of this is the death and destruction resulting from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. We have witnessed with our own eyes the murderous rampage of an army directed by an indicted war criminal. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians are dead, many of whom are women and children. In addition, Russian forces have abducted thousands of Ukrainian children, sending them to ‘reeducation camps’. This is an indelible stain on the US and European governments that will never be erased. These atrocities are proof that words are worthless in the face of bullets, bombs and missiles.
From the very beginning of the invasion in February 2022, Trump was sympathetic to Putin’s ambitions, even complementing him on the day of the invasion. In a Politico report by Joseph Gedeon on February 23rd 2022, entitled
Trump calls Putin ‘genius’ and ‘savvy’ for Ukraine invasion.
It was noted that Trump stated:
“I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius.’ Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful,” Trump said in a radio interview with “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.” “He used the word ‘independent’ and ‘we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.’ You gotta say that’s pretty savvy.”
Trump was all in on Putin’s invasion from day one. He then spent the entire 2024 election campaign politically attacking Ukraine. A country that was the victim of war crimes against its people, all while he was convincing Republicans in the House and Senate to freeze and obstruct military aid to Ukraine. Trump’s actions today are merely a continuation of his position from the outset. It is a position undoubtedly driven by perceptions of Zelensky’s role in his 2021 impeachment. It is just another example of Trump’s retribution campaign.
Only time will tell what Putin holds over Trump, but I would not dismiss that this is a complicated web of illegality that intersects with the Epstein files. Putting that aside for a moment, the Strategic National Security Report goes well beyond the war in Ukraine. However, before we move on, I thought I might answer the question of why Trump would rather force Ukraine to capitulate and negotiate with Putin than negotiate with Ukraine for mineral and energy rights. With Putin, there is no requirement for transparency, so Trump can skim off billions for himself from both minerals and energy, as well as reconstruction, which is precisely why Jared Kushner is involved.
Trump’s puppet masters have ambitions to change the international world order, and he’s just the frontman for their band, ‘The Greedy Rich Bastards’. This new strategy report aims to codify their intent, which could not be clearer. The EU is the world’s largest single market and a leading global trading bloc. This makes it one of the world’s largest markets, especially for manufactured goods. The US currently has frustrations with the EU for what it calls ‘burdensome regulations’, which we in Europe call ‘public safety requirements’.
An example of this frustration is demonstrated by the EU Commission, which recently reported having:
‘…issued a fine of €120 million to X for breaching its transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The breaches include the deceptive design of its ‘blue checkmark’, the lack of transparency of its advertising repository, and the failure to provide access to public data for researchers.’
This is the same Commission that is working on regulating AI, much to the annoyance of those backing Trump. The Strategic National Security Report is a clear roadmap that explicitly aids and abets the rise of the far right in Europe. The intention appears to be to indirectly support Putin’s strategy to regain control of European affairs. It represents the biggest threat to global peace and democracy since World War II. Trump has absolutely no interest in Europe other than securing long-term revenue streams from Putin. Interestingly, he has no comprehension of what a big mistake he’s making, because once Putin’s got what he wants, he will have no problem, once Trump is out of office, sending a kill team to save him from having to pay a cent.
The primary concern for Europe is that Trump has now made clear his intent to abdicate responsibility for European security, allowing him to focus on reorienting the U.S. toward the Indo-Pacific. The new strategic focus is on countering the Chinese threat and reshaping the global order. When researching international foreign policy matters, it’s always a good idea to consult the think tank Chatham House. In particular, I would draw your attention to a piece by Laurel Rapp, Director of the US and North America Programme, in which she notes:
‘…the new strategy is driven by commercial deals and authoritarian accommodation. A cabinet composed only of loyalists has advanced Trump’s vision with few checks. A cowed bureaucracy, buffeted by DOGE and mass firings, will likely offer little friction in its implementation.’
She goes on to note:
‘…The strategy’s ‘great optimism’ for the rise of ‘patriotic European parties’ builds on the themes of Vice President JD Vance’s Munich Security Conference speech in February, saying the previously quiet part out loud:
The US will cultivate transatlantic ethno-nationalist movements.
In a shameful nod to the promotion of white nationalism, the document points to ‘civilizational erasure’, as a result of Europe’s unchecked immigration, declining birthrates, stating that ‘censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition’ risks cratering Europe’s Europeanness.
I think that, when it comes to history and culture, European culture predates the Pony Express and the beef burger. Remind me again, what was the origin of the ‘pilgrims’ who committed genocide against the indigenous people whose land they went on to steal and create compounds for slaves?
The report is a breathtaking, unfounded, arrogant assumption from a country drowning in debt, while committing extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean, and extorting trading partners around the world. Meanwhile, domestically, it has deployed a state-controlled militia authorising the abduction of people from the street by masked thugs, for speaking Spanish or being caught in possession of a brown face. The world should take no advice from what is now an international pariah state demonstrating a blatant disregard for international law. A point not lost on Trump, who is now threatening the International Criminal Court. As reported by Humeyra Pamuk in a piece for Reuters:
President Donald Trump’s administration wants the International Criminal Court to amend its founding document to ensure it does not investigate the Republican president and his top officials, a Trump administration official said, threatening new U.S. sanctions on the court if it did not.
If the court does not act on this U.S. demand and two others - dropping investigations of Israeli leaders over the Gaza war and formally ending an earlier probe of U.S. troops over their actions in Afghanistan - Washington may penalise more ICC officials and could sanction the court itself, the official said.
Hardly the actions of an innocent man, might I suggest?
It’s time for Europe, and its friends around the world, to reject the politics of fear and abuse. If Trump wants to declare unprovoked economic and cultural warfare on his allies and the ICC, it’s time for those allies to stop turning the other cheek and fight back. Europe and NATO have absolutely nothing to lose. The US, despite having benefited from Article 5 of the NATO treaty following 9/11, has no intention of coming to Europe’s aid to protect it from Russia. This is despite over a thousand soldiers from US allied nations sacrificing their lives in support of the US war on terror. A war, might I add, based on more lies and deceit from the US at the time.
Together, the coalition of the willing should dump enough US bonds to fire a shot across the bow, encouraging US lawmakers to either rise up or face an economic attack so great that it will collapse the US economy.
All Europe would need to do is fully open its markets to China through an expansive bilateral trade agreement while imposing massive tariffs on US exports, except for key blue states like California. It would be game over for the US economy. Of course, it’s much more complicated than that, and there would be a global economic shock that would hurt everyone, but I would argue that, as things stand, the US can inflict damage on the rest of the world’s economies at will with little to no consequences. I’m sure Prime Minister Mark Carney would love to lead the drafting of such action. It’s time the US administration had an opportunity to feel some real pain. Things have to change, but without definitive retaliation, the playground bully will continue to demand the world’s lunch money, and it has to stop.
Fantastic (though dreadful) piece. "Without definitive retaliation, the playground bully will continue to demand the world’s lunch money, and it has to stop." I am an American and I support this. Something needs to be done and quickly!
Chilling observations. Thank you.