Trump: Blowing Up Alliances
Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced the implementation of an additional 10% tariff on Denmark and seven other European countries that supported Denmark's decision to reject his proposal regarding the acquisition of Greenland, which is currently a semiautonomous territory under Danish administration. Trump threatened Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland that they have until June 1 to sit down and negotiate the terms of the sale of the Arctic territory, or the tariff will increase to 25%, “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”*
Trump's linguistic poverty and lack of tact are perhaps unparalleled in relations between major powers, but European nations should not be surprised that the Republican treats a country and its inhabitants as if they were a vacant lot. After all, this is how much of Europe has treated America, Africa, Asia and Oceania since the 16th century; how Americans have treated the entire American continent (plus Hawaii and the Philippines) since the moment of their independence; and how Israelis have treated Palestine since 1948. What is new, however, is that Washington is now using force against its close Western allies — a level of aggression that NATO members previously directed only at the former Soviet Union and countries in the Global South.
The U.S. president offered a grotesque and eloquent example of this insolence when addressing senators from his party last week, spending six minutes of his speech mocking his counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. Imitating what he believes to be a French accent, Trump recounted how, according to his version, he humiliated Macron and forced him to raise the price of medicines in exchange for refraining from raising tariffs on all French products. This is not the first time the tycoon has boasted of forcing his peers to do his bidding, but his characterization of the conversation and the pleading tone he attributed to a figure who has done everything in his power to remain on good terms with him shows the growing arrogance of someone who has crossed all the boundaries of law and diplomacy without suffering any consequences.
No other nation could treat its allies like this and still receive such total loyalty — or perhaps submission, depending on your perspective — as Washington does. However, signs of weariness with Trumpism are starting to appear. This week, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a three-day state visit to China, during which he agreed with Xi Jinping on "a preliminary but landmark trade agreement to remove trade barriers and reduce tariffs." As part of the “new strategic partnership” between Ottawa and Beijing, Canada reduced import tariffs from 100% to 6% on up to 49,000 electric vehicles manufactured in China, while China lowered tariffs on canola seeds and derived products from 84% to 15%. Beyond the limited opening to Chinese vehicles using alternative energies, the measure is hugely symbolic in that the virtual ban on them had been put in place to align Canadian trade policy with that of its largest partner and, until a year ago, best friend. It was also very significant that Carney emphasized the pragmatic nature of the partnership by pointing out his ideological differences with Beijing, then adding that, “We take the world as it is, not as we wish it to be” and that the relationship with China has become more predictable and effective than that with the United States.
When we add to the Canadian prime minister’s visit the meetings organized or planned with Xi by South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung, Britain’s Keir Starmer and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, along with the European Union’s suggestion to swap punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles for a minimum price agreement, a trend becomes apparent. The unpredictable and combative nature of Trumpism appears to be pushing Washington’s closest allies toward closer ties with its major economic and geopolitical competitor. In summary, all signs suggest that even though the United States has been very successful at establishing far-right governments throughout the Americas, its influence is actually diminishing.
*Editor’s note: On Jan. 21, 2026, Donald Trump backed down from his threat of tariffs on the eight European countries over Greenland.
Trump's linguistic poverty and lack of tact are perhaps unparalleled in relations between major powers, but European nations should not be surprised that the Republican treats a country and its inhabitants as if they were a vacant lot. After all, this is how much of Europe has treated America, Africa, Asia and Oceania since the 16th century; how Americans have treated the entire American continent (plus Hawaii and the Philippines) since the moment of their independence; and how Israelis have treated Palestine since 1948. What is new, however, is that Washington is now using force against its close Western allies — a level of aggression that NATO members previously directed only at the former Soviet Union and countries in the Global South.
The U.S. president offered a grotesque and eloquent example of this insolence when addressing senators from his party last week, spending six minutes of his speech mocking his counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. Imitating what he believes to be a French accent, Trump recounted how, according to his version, he humiliated Macron and forced him to raise the price of medicines in exchange for refraining from raising tariffs on all French products. This is not the first time the tycoon has boasted of forcing his peers to do his bidding, but his characterization of the conversation and the pleading tone he attributed to a figure who has done everything in his power to remain on good terms with him shows the growing arrogance of someone who has crossed all the boundaries of law and diplomacy without suffering any consequences.
No other nation could treat its allies like this and still receive such total loyalty — or perhaps submission, depending on your perspective — as Washington does. However, signs of weariness with Trumpism are starting to appear. This week, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a three-day state visit to China, during which he agreed with Xi Jinping on "a preliminary but landmark trade agreement to remove trade barriers and reduce tariffs." As part of the “new strategic partnership” between Ottawa and Beijing, Canada reduced import tariffs from 100% to 6% on up to 49,000 electric vehicles manufactured in China, while China lowered tariffs on canola seeds and derived products from 84% to 15%. Beyond the limited opening to Chinese vehicles using alternative energies, the measure is hugely symbolic in that the virtual ban on them had been put in place to align Canadian trade policy with that of its largest partner and, until a year ago, best friend. It was also very significant that Carney emphasized the pragmatic nature of the partnership by pointing out his ideological differences with Beijing, then adding that, “We take the world as it is, not as we wish it to be” and that the relationship with China has become more predictable and effective than that with the United States.
When we add to the Canadian prime minister’s visit the meetings organized or planned with Xi by South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung, Britain’s Keir Starmer and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, along with the European Union’s suggestion to swap punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles for a minimum price agreement, a trend becomes apparent. The unpredictable and combative nature of Trumpism appears to be pushing Washington’s closest allies toward closer ties with its major economic and geopolitical competitor. In summary, all signs suggest that even though the United States has been very successful at establishing far-right governments throughout the Americas, its influence is actually diminishing.
*Editor’s note: On Jan. 21, 2026, Donald Trump backed down from his threat of tariffs on the eight European countries over Greenland.
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