There is a dispute over what, who, when and how Trump got his threats to endanger NATO’s existence. However, excessive psychologization seems as misplaced as the search for a strategy. We simply don’t know why Donald Trump allowed the ‘Greenland problem’ to escalate so suddenly – and why he just as suddenly decided to back away from it. That says a lot about his unpredictability, which has become the hallmark of US politics since he took office.”
video | Trump jokes about head of state
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The US daily newspaper “Wall Street Journal” analyzes Trump’s appearance as follows:
“Mr. Trump recalled that European leaders had to be repeatedly urged by the United States to ensure their own security before increasing defense spending. They depend on US leadership to support Ukraine as it resists a Russian invasion that Europe has failed to prevent or end.
Mr. Trump has unduly emphasized this helplessness, and his insults and intimidating threats toward Greenland have unnecessarily alienated Europe. (…) But the taunts hit the participants in Davos hard because they know that they are more dependent on the USA than they would like, and they know that it is their own fault. (…)
The hypocrisy would be amusing if the deepening rift between the US and its allies weren’t so dangerous. But China and Russia are monitoring the situation closely. They see how easily Trump can be manipulated into angering loyal allies like NATO partners, and how vulnerable those allies are. Our enemies would like nothing more than for Greenland to become the cause of a permanent divide in the Atlantic that will blow up NATO.”
The Austrian daily newspaper “Der Standard” writes about Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum:
“The almost two hours in which only Donald Trump’s voice was heard in Davos showed in a ruthlessly painful way how little substance there is behind the mask. Lies, falsification of history, a twisting of the past – the only recognizable central theme among increasingly confused anecdotes, stories and repetitions is Greenland. (…)
