European leaders issued a joint statement asserting Arctic security “must be achieved collectively.” Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had earlier warned such an act would mean “the end of the NATO military alliance,” a sentiment echoed by European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, who said it would spell “the end of the trans-Atlantic partnership.” This pattern, observers note, has recast the U.S. from an unreliable partner into an active unilateralist power, creating a severe trust deficit in Europe. Michael D. Swaine, senior research fellow in the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute, contends that Taiwan is not a sufficiently vital interest for the United States to go to war over, and it is urgent for Washington to begin transitioning to a policy to rule out the possibility of joining a war over the island. The most provocative interpretation of current events is that the Trump administration is positioning Taiwan with a grand bargain with Beijing, especially whether the U.S. opposition to Taiwan independence is “under serious consideration” and will be part of a potential negotiation package during a future presidential visit to China.
Author: Harris Jenner
Published at: 2026-01-18 23:00:05
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