The Nato summit exposed the real source of Trump’s power

The Guardian  |  Robert Reich

US President Donald Trump used the recent NATO summit to lash out at member states, criticize European energy and immigration policies, and dismiss the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow, prompting extraordinary deference from worried allied leaders. This submissive response highlights how his power stems from a calculated willingness to violate established global norms, rules, and treaties.

Rather than relying on strategic brilliance or his domestic political base, this transactional approach exploits the trust inherent in international institutions to extract immediate personal benefits. By operating as a non-ethical first-mover who ignores collective standards of right and wrong, he forces other actors to bear the systemic costs of protecting themselves against future violations. Consequently, these unilateral actions have severely damaged foundational global frameworks, including NATO and the US Department of Justice, leaving a degraded international order that will require extensive, long-term efforts to rebuild and secure once his tenure ends.

Comment

Trump's transactional and norm-shattering approach to alliances underscores the inherent volatility of relying on US security guarantees, a lesson that reinforces India's traditional doctrine of strategic autonomy. While Western analysts focus on the erosion of transatlantic trust, New Delhi must anticipate how a highly unpredictable US leadership could disrupt Indo-Pacific security architectures and bilateral defence partnerships. Consequently, India must accelerate its domestic defence industrial base and diversify its strategic alignments to insulate itself from sudden shifts in Washington's geopolitical commitments.

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