Zaki Laïdi at Project Syndicate:
EU leaders “jokingly call me the president of Europe,” Donald Trump claimed at a recent press conference. As bizarre as that sounds, it does have a slight ring of truth. For seven months, Europe has desperately sought to placate the US president, usually with groveling displays of sycophancy designed to play to Trump’s unbridled narcissism.
Accordingly, when Trump recently grumbled some encouraging remarks about supporting Ukraine, European leaders saw it as the hard-won result of their self-abasement strategy. But when Trump made more ominous remarks, they rushed to the White House. Either way, it is Trump calling the shots, because European leaders refuse even to countenance a rupture with the United States.
But kowtowing to Trump will not make him any less unpredictable. His capriciousness is not just a personality trait; it is a modus operandi. Trump seeks to instill insecurity in others, so that they cannot organize a potent or coherent response.
More here.
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