American president Donald tramp he explained in an interview for "Politico" his vision of a world in which liberal democracy, multilateral institutions and long-standing alliances are a problem, not a solution. He put a special focus on Europe, which he described as "decadent" and "on the road to ruin."
"Europe is falling apart"
According to Trump, European countries are solely responsible for their "unprecedented problems" - primarily because of "uncontrolled immigration" and the open door policy. He described European leaders as weak and unable to "protect their own citizens", suggesting that they had abandoned the basic idea of the state as a guarantor of security and order.
Such rhetoric is not new, but this time it was uttered with additional emphasis on the ideological break between Trump's vision of the West and the policies of the European Union. Unlike Brussels, Trump openly praises leaders like Viktor Orbán and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom he sees as examples of "solid government" in a time of instability.
Trump's security strategy: Strengthening right-wing populist forces in Europe
Ukraine and the elections - a dangerous suggestion
An even more sensitive part of the interview was about the war in Ukraine. Trump has questioned the democratic legitimacy of the government in Kiev, suggesting that Ukraine should hold elections - even though the country is in a state of full-scale war and under constant Russian attacks.
Such a statement departs from the previous position of the West, according to which elections during war are impractical and potentially destabilizing. Critics warn that insisting on elections in such conditions would play into the hands of Moscow, which has been challenging the legitimacy of Ukrainian institutions for years.
Although Trump did not openly call for the reduction of aid to Ukraine, his statements further strengthen the suspicion that the American policy towards the war could change radically - in the direction of pressuring Kiev to speed up negotiations with Russia.
"Everyone knows how smart and educated I am"
Speaking about the domestic situation in the US, Trump gave his own economic policy an "A-plus-plus-plus", claiming that America is stronger than ever. Inflation and the rise in the cost of living, which are the subject of numerous public opinion surveys, he minimized, calling them "overblown problems".
The American president spoke about himself in a recognizable tone of self-praise.
He described his role as that of a "strong leader" who is the only one who sees reality as it is, unlike "weak politicians" in the US and Europe. He claims that the US economy under his leadership is "the best in history" and that all the problems mentioned today are "exaggerated or made up".
He also pointed out that everyone knows how educated and smart he is, and he mentioned Viktor Orbán and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as European leaders he singles out. He sees them as an example of a "firm hand" which, in his opinion, is lacking in liberal democracies.
Interview without brakes
The interview for "Politico" also caused reactions in the United States itself, where some media and analysts criticized the format of the conversation, assessing that Trump's claims were not sufficiently checked or challenged during the interview.
For Europe, however, the messages were clear: in Trump's vision of the world, old alliances are no longer taken for granted, and solidarity is measured by interests, not values.
If these statements are a signal of future US foreign policy, European capitals may be forced to prepare more seriously for a world in which American support is no longer guaranteed - neither politically nor security-wise.
Source: Politico
