Trump wants US allies to ‘do something’: What happens if they won’t?

AMERICAN president Donald Trump is challenging the post-Cold War international system as it evolved under Democratic and Republican administrations by demanding that US allies in Europe and the Middle East take care of their own strategic interests instead of relying on Washington to do that for them.

In a nutshell, Trump is essentially saying: “We don’t want to be in the business of resolving historical conflicts in Eastern Europe or dealing with old tribal fights in the Levant. Instead, our core geostrategic interests lie in East Asia where we confront our main global threat, China. You’re on your own, guys!”

In a major blow to Ukraine and its supporters in Europe last Wednesday (Feb 12), President Trump announced that he had agreed with Vladimir Putin to hold talks that would bring an end to the war in Ukraine.