US President Donald Trump's proposed "land grabs" are making the world perceive the US not as an "anchor of stability", but as "a risk against which we must guard", BTA reports.
This is stated in the report of the Munich Security Conference, traditionally published ahead of the forum, which will be held at the end of the week, reported "The Guardian".
The document examines the transition from a unipolar world led by the United States after the Cold War to a multipolar order in which different states and ideologies compete for influence.
After taking office, Trump expressed interest in acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal, as well as the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state. This, according to the report, is further evidence that Washington no longer seeks to be the guarantor of the liberal international order. It is unclear, however, which countries could fill that role and provide the necessary global public goods.
The report’s authors warn that the weakening of US global leadership has implications not only for matters of war and peace, but also for ensuring freedom of navigation and addressing global threats.
The report predicts a world in which multiple states vie for influence, and “the future order could be considerably more chaotic.” The liberal order may not disappear entirely, but its reach will be increasingly limited to the West.
The conference, which begins on Friday, will be the first meeting between the new US delegation, led by US Vice President J.D. Vance, and European leaders. Vance will be accompanied by Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. They are expected to be questioned about the future role of the United States and the terms of a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
European leaders will urge Washington to put more pressure on Vladimir Putin and will want clarity on whether the United States - alone or through NATO - will support a possible European mission to stabilize Ukraine after the war.
The report warns that Russia is not just aiming to neutralize Ukraine, but also to create a Eurasian order led by Moscow. It indirectly calls on Trump to realize the strategic importance of Putin's defeat, as economic pressure and war could weaken Russia's ability to realize its imperial ambitions.
“The international community must decide whether to give Russia the space to continue these actions or pressure it to adhere to the rules-based international order,“ the report's authors conclude.