Change

Modesty is hardly one of Donald Trump’s greatest virtues. He was patting himself on the back the other day because he stated that NATO survived thanks to him; on top of that, he bragged that he had supplied Ukraine with weapons.

The former American president wants to rewrite history again. He never thought much of NATO. In 2018 he said that he did not see much point to it. He clearly thinks no one remembers he was impeached for withholding $400 million worth of military aid to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress. This is how he tried to threaten President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: by smearing Joe Biden’s family.

Trump’s newest “alternative reality” also reveals how the geopolitical situation can change in a matter of moments because of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and NATO’s role has risen greatly in value. Even in Switzerland the thought of giving up two centuries of neutrality is no longer taboo, something that would have been completely unthinkable two months ago. Right now, Austria does not want to hear anything about breaking neutrality. A survey in March found that 91% found it important to stay neutral, although that large support will hardly continue if the war drags on.

Finland and Sweden, on the other hand, will soon be able to join NATO, which is a very important development for Europe’s security policy.

This is true particularly when you consider that Moscow recently threatened Helsinki about abandoning neutrality. The 53-page strategic report presented by the Finnish government on Wednesday marks the first step toward joining NATO, as the Finnish cabinet lists the benefits of joining the alliance. According to experts, Finland and Sweden could join NATO at the end of June.

Trump will obviously see this as his own accomplishment, but in the virtual world, you can clearly see that his geopolitical perceptions as president were a total failure.