Fair enough: Trump is closing the doors of a European mama hotel. Putin is mainly rubbing his hands, Europe can also make a profit.
Donald Trump in a recent statement sharply criticized Europe and even predicted its demise within twenty years. He did not specify exactly how the end of the continent should look, however, these statements clearly lead to weakening of the transatlantic pact between European states and America. The system was a monument to USA's victory in the Cold War, which Trump is now trying to demolish. The one who lost the conflict of the 2nd half of the 20th century, of course, laughs at this. Today, these laughing defeated are represented primarily by Vladimir Putin.
In the shopping mall Seacon Square in Bangkok, a humorous unveiling of a satirical version of the famous American monument with the heads of the greatest presidents in its history took place. Hardcore Donald Trump supporters would have his head carved next to George Washington without hesitation.
In Bangkok, they perhaps got the impression that Trump would have nothing to say to the first president of the USA, so they carved into their version someone who likes to chat with Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, and Chinese president Xi Jinping keep him company on the parodic statue.
On the other hand, he described Europe as weak. There is no doubt that Putin or Xi are truly strong leaders in their country. They themselves proclaimed themselves as presidents forever, even though the rigid communist dictatorship in China has been focused for decades on making their leaders change.
Trump, during his first presidency, bombarded NATO. He didn't like that the USA has high military expenditures and provides military protection to its vassals. However, he forgot that protection had to be paid for. Of course, there were no dues in NATO, but the amount of dollars that flowed from member countries to America for its advanced military technology is, without exaggeration, astronomical.
The highly-discussed, super-expensive F-35 tender, worth tens of billions, is just a drop in the ocean of further orders for another F-35, Abrams tanks, or air defense systems from dozens of NATO members in Europe.
"Just as Trump is backing away from peace dialogues in Ukraine, he may one day decide that the United States will no longer ensure the defense of European countries. At such a moment, Europe must be ready to defend its sovereignty alone," risk analyst Vladimír Votápek warned back in April this year. Votápek is a member of the Pirate Party, so it is clear that he will not meet Trump in the ideological world.
"The American safety mom hotel is over. Europe is waking up to reality. It realizes that instead of mannerisms, it's time to take care of itself,"
commented Lenka Zlámalová, who cannot be suspected of left-wing liberalism of the pirate cut, in other words the same on X.
What Czech analysts think is not so important. The one who does not find common language with Trump is the German chancellor Friedrich Merz. Experienced pragmatist from a business environment like Trump responded to his critical note with the fact that Europe should be more independent from the USA.
Germany is currently launching the largest arms buildup since World War II. Germany is the country that caused both world wars, and until recently no one wanted the militarism of the most populous nation in Europe (let's overlook the Russians, but they themselves are separating from Europe) to return.
Merz worked for the world's largest financial fund BlackRock and knows something about investing. He will easily calculate that when the Americans leave their allies, the Germans will invest in their own defense. When the ties of the USA in NATO loosen, no one will prevent him from investing in German weapons. The Czechs, for example, are currently buying German Leopard tanks. Not only the USA likes to sell weapons. One of the richest people in the Czech Republic, billionaire Michal Strnad, can confirm this.
NATO has not yet fallen apart or transformed in any way. Trump will not be the American president forever, but even if Democrats take over his oar after the next election, which is not certain at all, the transatlantic bond may continue to weaken. It might be without Trump's insults, but as we know, the last defender of this alliance was the old president Joe Biden.
Vladimir Putin surely welcomes the discord in the team of his enemies. However, why Americans, led by Trump, are giving up their allies with insults in unusual statements doesn't sound like a thought-out tactic.
