BEYOND VLADIMIR PUTIN’S WILDEST DREAMS
As for grand technique – the truth is that Trump’s threats to Greenland, Panama and Canada are an absolute present to Russia and China.
If Trump can declare that it’s a strategic necessity for the US to take over Greenland or the Panama Canal, why is it illegitimate for Vladimir Putin to say that it’s a strategic necessity for Russia to manage Ukraine? If Gill can declare it’s America’s “manifest future” to broaden its frontiers, who may object when Xi Jinping insists it’s China’s manifest future to manage Taiwan?
Each Russia and China have lengthy dreamt of pulling aside the Western alliance. Trump is doing their work for them.
Only a few weeks in the past, it will have been past the Kremlin’s wildest desires to see Canada’s primary information journal working a canopy story on Why America Can’t Conquer Canada. The concept of European leaders invoking the EU’s mutual defence clause towards the US – not Russia – would even have appeared like fantasy. However these are the brand new realities.
Even when Trump by no means makes good on his threats, he has already achieved monumental harm to America’s world standing and to its alliance system. And he’s not even in workplace but.
It does appear unlikely Trump would order an invasion of Greenland. (Though it as soon as appeared unlikely that he would try to overthrow an election.) It’s even much less possible that Canada shall be intimidated into surrendering its independence.
However the actual fact that the incoming president is ripping up worldwide norms is a catastrophe. Any sniggering at Trump’s “jokes” is misplaced. What we’re witnessing is a tragedy – not a comedy.
