Trump Crashing Out
By 
It’s best to understand Trump’s rhetoric at the NATO summit against the backdrop of his disastrous foreign policy:
The President’s outburst comes as his administration faces a series of foreign policy disasters. Trump made his comments about Greenland nearly simultaneous with the latest breakdown of the US-Iran cease-fire.
The amateurishly negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran left a number of issues unclear, straining the agreement to its breaking point. At the same time, earthquakes in Venezuela have exposed the weakness of the ruling clique that received Trump’s blessing after his seizure of President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump’s much-vaunted summit with President Xi Jinping failed to secure any significant trade concessions, even as the Supreme Court gutted Trump’s ability to levy tariffs around the world. The truce that Trump helped negotiate in Gaza has stalled, with few partners displaying any interest in making good on their commitments. Finally, the Russia-Ukraine War continues to rage unabated, with the United States playing an increasingly trivial role in its termination.
It is thus likely that some of Trump’s statements stem from a sense of weakness and frustration.
In other news:
- CSIS on the ballooning cost of Putin’s war is worth reading.
- On the effectiveness of the Russian propaganda machine…
- Iran is in the driver’s seat in the Gulf.
- Keeping oil prices in check is hard work.
- What to expect to lose when you’re expecting to lose Spain?
- Will the Red Sea Shoe drop?