“Geopolitically, Trump is causing tectonic shifts of what has been considered as stable in recent decades. Most important of all is the huge rift that is being created between the US and the European powers. The European powers have been following “obediently”, more or less, the US in the policies that the latter decided since the end of the World War II – serving of course at the same time their own imperialist interests. This alliance was one of the key factors that enabled the West in general and the United States in particular to dominate the planet, particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Trump seems to be bringing this alliance to an abrupt (and shocking to its main protagonists) end.”
3rd ISp Conference, March 2025
Although Trump’s term had barely begun in March of last year, the assessments we made as an international organization (ISp) and as “Xekinima” proved to be quite accurate. Trump has “dropped a bomb” on everything that was considered stable in Western capitalism, especially so as regards the core element of this “stability”, which is the relations of the United States with its European allies.
Trump believes that in this way he is Making America Great Again (MAGA). In fact, by claiming that he wants to see America great again, Trump recognizes that America is not great, it is in retreat. Trump himself is a derivative of America in retreat, no matter how much he seeks to impose his own terms by projecting the “enormous power” that he thinks the United States still continues to have. This is a contradiction that his mind probably cannot grasp.
Of course, the European powers that dominated the planet until World War II, are in permanent retreat, more correctly in historical decline (see the text of the 3rd ISp Conference, The decline of Europe and the Crisis of the Left). Trump understands this – but, like everything, to an exaggerated degree. And while he shows, in his own way, a kind of respect towards powers like Russia and China, he mocks the Europeans, ridicules them, blackmails them, sends them “to cut their throats”, states that in Afghanistan the European armies did nothing of value remaining in the rear and avoiding battle, burdens them with the main responsibility for the war expenses of Ukraine, forces them to increase their budget expenditures to a huge 5% of GDP, and so on (not to mention the issue of tariffs and the economy which is another big, separate chapter, to be taken up later).
The kidnapping of Maduro may have pleased the European leaders in many ways, but at the same time it worried them: how far will this cowboy who seems to continue living in the era of the Far West go? Trump seems to be bringing back the Monroe Doctrine (of 1823) which claimed Latin America as the backyard of the USA, where they will do whatever they want. And everything shows that he seems to be enjoying the change of name to the Donroe doctrine (from his first name, Donald, and Monroe).
The issue of Greenland left the European leaders no choice
The key European leaders’ attitude towards Trump was, for the first year of Trump’s new term, cautious and patient – to the point of servility. But the issue of Greenland left them no choice but to do something.
The US (together with the UK) dragged Europe into the Ukraine war – initially powers like France and Germany were hesitant and sought a compromise with Russia. Then they were dragged into the trade war with China under the US’s pressure. In both cases, European capitalists were the losers: their attitude towards Russia deprived them of the cheap natural gas that covered their energy needs, while the trade war with China limited their access to the Chinese market, which has been the fastest growing in the world.
The EU offered Ukraine more (in military equipment and financial aid) than the US, while the US has been selling very expensive liquefied natural gas to Europe, making profits from this in addition to the profits made from selling weapons and ammunition to the European governments for Ukraine’s needs. All this was swallowed by the European capitalists, because without the US they understand that they cannot stand up to international competition and also against Russia on the issue of Ukraine.
And after they paid all this cost… after they launched a “frenzied” campaign to terrorize the populations of Europe about the notorious “Russian danger” that threatens Europe, and the need for huge armament programs… because if Russia wins in Ukraine, it will not stop there… and before long Europe will… speak Russian, according to the ridiculous NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte… after all these, Trump comes and claims Greenland, the biggest island on the planet, of great strategic importance and the richest part of Europe in minerals and critical metals.
If for Donbass (which is claimed from Ukraine and gradually occupied by Russia) the Europeans claim that they must do everything possible so as to stop Russia, what should they do for Greenland? It is immeasurably more important, economically and strategically, more than 60 times larger than Donbass and 3.5 times larger than Ukraine itself (which is the largest country on the European continent).
And so, the question naturally arises: who is ultimately the greatest danger to the European powers? Putin or Trump? The bully at the helm of the planet, directly threatened to use force to acquire Greenland – so that there are no misunderstandings, he (initially) threatened to send the US army against European territory and occupy it!
Under this pressure, the European rulers were forced to pull themselves together and begin to react. And again, their public statements were measured so as not to alienate the… ally (with such friends, who needs enemies?). In the background, however, they began to discuss drastic measures like the imposition of tariffs on US imports, approximating in total nearly 100 billion euros, and even the closure of American bases in Europe!
After the reactions of European and NATO “partners”, Trump, it seems, backed down a little. Not from claiming Greenland but from using military force to occupy it. Although he continues in his usual style to declare that eventually he will do his thing, his specific retreat shows that his pompous statements and his real power have limits.
The Board of Peace
His bravado policy on the Greenland issue is accompanied at the same time by another “initiative” of his: he is dissolving any concept of international coordination with other capitalists, withdrawing from a total of 66 international bodies. He withdraws from every United Nations organization that deals with issues such as international aid, reconstruction of damaged areas, Health, Education, science, human rights, culture, the environment and the climate crisis, women’s rights, etc., etc.
And he creates a “Board of Peace ” with the pretext of the “reconstruction” of Gaza (which in practice means converting the coastal 53% of Gaza into a riviera, as he had stated from the beginning of his term), in which he invites dozens of countries (60 in total, including Russia and China) from all continents to participate.
In this “Board of Peace” Trump will be the absolute ruler – he will decide and order, no decision can be made without his agreement, he and only he will decide the composition of his Board, and any changes to it.
The Board was formed with the pretext, initially, of rebuilding Gaza but in reality it has other and permanent characteristics. In the Board’s charter, which Trump presented in Davos, there is no mention of Gaza. What is mentioned in the charter are the purposes of “promoting stability, restoring legitimate governance and peace in areas affected by or threatened by conflict”.
In other words, Trump wants to effectively abolish the UN Security Council (essentially the UN itself) and replace it with his own body that will determine where there will be war and where peace and that will bring down or prop up governments according to the decisions and interests of Trump and his MAGA policy. He wants to become the absolute ruler of the planet, an emperor with so many powers that has no historical precedent.
Is it conceivable that he might be able to achieve this?
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A second part, a continuation of this article, will follow in the coming days.
