Countdown
Many of us Europeans have never really liked Donald Trump. From his first term, we dismissed him as “crazy” and erratic. At times, we even found amusement in his sudden reversals and impulsive remarks. But with his re‑election, we began listening more carefully, though always with skepticism about his seriousness. He is the world leader we never wanted. Not that Biden inspired much confidence either, barely managing to stay upright and awake. We often wondered how such a vast nation as America could fail to produce another viable political figure between them. Yet Trump won re‑election with relative ease, and since then he has not stopped unsettling us.
The reality is that he has reshuffled the deck of global power balances, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Venezuela, and now even Thailand. The man simply does not rest.
His latest interview with Politico deserves close attention. Trump declared: “Europe is a decaying continent with weak leaders,” criticizing America’s traditional allies for failing to control migration and end the war in Ukraine. He added that he would support European politicians aligned with his vision. “I think they are weak,” he said of Europe’s leaders. “They want to be so politically correct. I think they don’t know what to do. Europe doesn’t know what to do.”
This criticism comes at a critical moment in negotiations over Ukraine, as European leaders grow increasingly anxious that the U.S. President may abandon Kyiv and its allies to Russian aggression. In the interview, Trump offered no reassurance, instead stating that Russia is clearly in a stronger position than Ukraine.
He went further: “I know the good leaders, I know the bad leaders. I know the smart ones, I know the stupid ones. And there are some truly stupid ones, they’re not doing a good job. Europe is failing in many ways.”
One can only wonder whom he considers “truly stupid.” Only he knows. Whatever our opinion of Trump himself, his dividing of European leaders into “smart” and “stupid” is an insult to our intelligence. We await his eventual naming of names, if he ever dares. The matter is serious, and tomorrow we will continue…