Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification The whole world was shocked by US President Donald Trump’s recent
humiliation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. The so-called leader of the free world berated a freedom fighter who has heroically led his country against Russian aggression for three years.
Trump’s seeming willingness to abandon Ukraine, a victim the West has supported since the war’s beginning, and his
accusing Zelensky of being a dictator was disgraceful. Initially negotiating to end the war without Ukraine’s participation sent a clear message that Trump’s America is no longer a friend of democracy and that Europeans can no longer count on American protection.
In addition to sidelining Ukraine, Trump also hit the European Union with a 25 per cent tariff on
steel and aluminium imports. Trump has gone further still, threatening to annex
Canada, a Nato member, and
Greenland, which is administered by Denmark and thus covered by the alliance’s security guarantees.
Crisis means opportunity. The intensifying geopolitical tensions coupled with the US’ capricious foreign policies provide an opportunity for Europe to unleash the potential of multilateral partnerships. Russian aggression represents an existential crisis for Europe, with
Sweden and Finland joining Nato in response.
Nato should eject the US. After all, the US has threatened Nato members, on top of continuous Russian threats. French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for a true European army, an initiative that has been discussed since the 1950s without success. Germany’s incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz is also a proponent of strengthening continental defences. However, Nato would provide a far stronger force as it includes a nuclear-armed Britain, as well as Canada and Sweden.
The EU is the second-largest economy in the world. Partnering with Canada and Scandinavia, and possibly inviting Australia and New Zealand, to power a new Nato for the free West could ensure democracy’s survival in such a polarised world where strength matters more than values.
