Trump Dismantles Next Alliance*
Published in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
(Germany) on 17 August 2026
by Nikolas Busse (link to
original)
America’s president is making concessions to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. South Korea, too, needs to consider whether Washington is still a reliable partner.
In Asia, too, Donald Trump remains an expert at damaging the United States’ old alliances. When he was in Beijing recently, he expressed doubts about support for Taiwan. Now, he is scaling back joint military exercises with South Korea, a country in which American troops have been stationed for decades.
His justifications are, as always, noteworthy for being so completely unstrategic. In addition to the costs, he cites lack of support from South Korea’s government for the war in Iran and, above all, that the maneuvers send “a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea. The propaganda in Pyongyang couldn’t have said it better.
Military Support for Russia
In reality, North Korea is not an “unthreatening and respectful” country, as Trump says. Leader Kim Jong Un continues to facilitate missile tests that are also directed at U.S. military bases in South Korea. And he is militarily supporting Russia in Ukraine, which is contributing to undermining Trump’s efforts to reach peace in that conflict. The president’s claim that he has a “great relationship” with the North Korean dictator is either a pretext or an illusion.
Trump’s original stance — that allies in Europe and Asia need to contribute more to their own defense — was justified. But when he seeks proximity to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim, he keeps calling the purpose of these alliances into question. South Korea joins the growing number of countries in the wider Western world that need to consider whether they can still rely on America. In East Asia, too, that is a nuclear question, if nothing else.
*Editor's Note: This article is available in its original German with a paid subscription.
In Asia, too, Donald Trump remains an expert at damaging the United States’ old alliances. When he was in Beijing recently, he expressed doubts about support for Taiwan. Now, he is scaling back joint military exercises with South Korea, a country in which American troops have been stationed for decades.
His justifications are, as always, noteworthy for being so completely unstrategic. In addition to the costs, he cites lack of support from South Korea’s government for the war in Iran and, above all, that the maneuvers send “a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea. The propaganda in Pyongyang couldn’t have said it better.
Military Support for Russia
In reality, North Korea is not an “unthreatening and respectful” country, as Trump says. Leader Kim Jong Un continues to facilitate missile tests that are also directed at U.S. military bases in South Korea. And he is militarily supporting Russia in Ukraine, which is contributing to undermining Trump’s efforts to reach peace in that conflict. The president’s claim that he has a “great relationship” with the North Korean dictator is either a pretext or an illusion.
Trump’s original stance — that allies in Europe and Asia need to contribute more to their own defense — was justified. But when he seeks proximity to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim, he keeps calling the purpose of these alliances into question. South Korea joins the growing number of countries in the wider Western world that need to consider whether they can still rely on America. In East Asia, too, that is a nuclear question, if nothing else.
*Editor's Note: This article is available in its original German with a paid subscription.
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