The former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once said that “a week is a very long time in politics”. The recent days, however, suggest that his statement was, if not wrong, then at least too modest.
In just one week, the statements of the American President Donald Trump about the possible “ownership” of Greenland, Europe’s weakness, and criticism of NATO contributions in Afghanistan have revealed a reality that is becoming increasingly clear to Western allies: the old international order has ended — and its return seems unlikely.
The list of controversial moments was completed by the proposal of a “Council of Peace for Gaza”, which would include the President of Belarus, as well as an invitation addressed to the Russian leader Vladimir Putin. For many diplomats, it was a difficult week to decipher.
“We are not in a transition, but in a rupture”
The tone was best captured by the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose speech last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos irritated Donald Trump.
“We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition”, Carney said, addressing the states he called “middle powers”. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu”, he warned.
In Europe, the idea that open opposition is preferable to silent accommodation is becoming increasingly clear. The outrage over Trump’s comments on Afghanistan was amplified by the threat of customs duties against eight European states, accused of supporting the current status of Greenland as part of Denmark, reports BBC.
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