It’s not about ideology, really. It’s about seeing weakness and wanting to exert power.
That’s true. Historians analyzing trump’s worldview noticed something interesting when he first took office. Throughout his career, he’s believed something was fundamentally wrong with the post-World War two order. He couldn’t grasp how Germany and Japan thrived after their defeat.
It didn’t make sense to him that the US, UK, and Soviet Union won the war, yet the Germans and japanese were doing so well. This evolved into questioning why Europeans seemed to live better than Americans – why their cars were better, for example.
And that worldview stuck with him.He also doesn’t understand the European Union. Europeans prioritize win-win scenarios. They genuinely believe in compromise and consensus. Trump, though, isn’t interested in that.
An American analyst I spoke with made a profound observation. Trump had business success, but failed spectacularly in casinos. The casino business requires creating the illusion that others are winning, in order to win yourself.
This felt like a Crimean moment. Trust in the US was built on Europe’s ability to rely on America when it came to Russia. Now,nobody believes that anymore.
When I say “crimean moment,” I’m referring to Russia’s annexation of Crimea twelve years ago,which signaled larger ambitions in Ukraine. You’re asking if Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland could be a similar first step?
No. In 2012 and 2013,before the invasion of Crimea,Putin’s popularity had dipped,and Russia saw protests.
