[Timber-6539]

I bet this is all a part of Trump's strategy into pushing Europe into geopolitical irrelevance. And if it counts for anything, the Europeans did this to themselves by relying on the goodwill of America for their own security.

[jltsiren]

This will mostly just weaken America.

Europe can defend itself against Russia just fine. Maybe it will be a bit poorer, as it has to spend more money on defense, but it can do that. The bigger threat is that European countries start fighting each other again. That could happen in a few decades, if Eurosceptic parties become too popular.

On the other hand, Europe does not care about China. It has no interests in the Pacific. In the absence of mutually beneficial alliances with powers that oppose China, Europe would rather see China as a (somewhat unpleasant) trading partner than an adversary. If China is not a threat and the US is not an ally, it doesn't matter much which of them is the dominant power in the Pacific.

[WhyNotHugo]

> On the other hand, Europe does not care about China. It has no interests in the Pacific. In the absence of mutually beneficial alliances with powers that oppose China, Europe would rather see China as a (somewhat unpleasant) trading partner than an adversary. If China is not a threat and the US is not an ally, it doesn't matter much which of them is the dominant power in the Pacific.

China keeps getting blockaded left and right when trying to establish shorter routes with the EU, and there's a reason for this. The EU and China both want to just live in peace and are natural trading partners — the main obstacle being distance, blockades, and unfriendly territories in between.

[hollerith]

>China keeps getting blockaded left and right when trying to establish shorter routes with the EU

What does this mean? I honestly cannot imagine.

If you mean naval blockade, which country's navy is doing the blockading?

[OKRainbowKid]

And what will happen instead is the US losing their status as hegemon/leader of the "free" world / West, with all the benefits that entailed.

[Timber-6539]

Or maybe being the hegemon doesn't mean you have to instigate and bankroll wars in every corner of this earth.

[OKRainbowKid]

Russia started this war. The US abandoning their closest allies against their historical main antagonist results in losing the status of hegemon, and the economic and geostrategic benefits that entailed.

Russia is winning the cold war, 35 years after it "ended".

[disgruntledphd2]

You don't get to pick and choose between benefits and costs. Like, over the long term you can, but blowing up your alliances at a press conference is not a strategy for long term geopolitical success.

Great TV, though.

[mcswell]

Seems to me that the country Trump is pushing into geopolitical irrelevance is the United States of America. Thanks to him, we're making enemies of friends and allies, throwing away our influence on the world, throwing away any claim we had to being a model, and turning in on ourselves. Trump is MALA: Make America Little Again.

[dh2022]

And purpose would that serve Trump? Make Europe weaker... for what? To build a casino in Paris?

[refurb]

Europe hasn't been geopolitical relevant beyond it's own borders for a while now.

I mean think about it - it had to rely on US transportation just to participate in the Iraq War. How much of a threat can a country be if it can't even project force into that theatre?