Reports say that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering imposing high tariffs on European countries that oppose America’s claim over Greenland.
What once seemed like an unshakable alliance is beginning to look far more fragile than many had assumed.
According to recent reports, President Donald Trump is prepared to impose high tariffs on European nations that oppose American claims over Greenland.
Europe may have grown accustomed to relying on the United States in times of crisis, and if so, this sudden reversal by Washington poses a serious challenge. What many Europeans believed to be an absolute ally now appears to be collapsing, almost audibly, before their eyes.
If the United States were to deploy its own military forces to Greenland, it is unclear how NATO could function without contradiction. Whatever the legal or strategic arguments, inconsistencies would be inevitable.
From a Japanese perspective, the situation evokes mixed emotions.
Since Japan was forced to open its doors by Commodore Perry, the country has been repeatedly shaped—and shaken—by American power. Even the last war might have taken a different course had Japan not confronted the United States directly.
Today, Japan is bound to the U.S. through a security alliance. While Washington urges Japan to shoulder a greater share of defense costs, concerns about China and Russia make it difficult to respond with outright refusal.
In just one year, the world has changed dramatically. Much of this change can be attributed to President Trump. One cannot help but wonder how much further the world will be transformed in the remaining three years of his term.
Inside the United States, however, global affairs seem distant.
People and money continue to flow in effortlessly. Trump Tower still stands gleaming against the skyline, seemingly indifferent to global tensions.
Perhaps many Americans feel that, as long as things remain this way at home, there is little reason to worry about the rest of the world.
