(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on March 5)

A world order shaken by Trump: The unfamiliar face of America

There are reports on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered a complete halt to military aid for Ukraine. According to Bloomberg News, citing a senior U.S. Department of Defense official, Trump decided to suspend all military assistance to Ukraine “until he determines that the country’s leaders have demonstrated a sincere commitment to peace.” A separate White House official confirmed this, placing U.S. support for Ukraine’s war effort in jeopardy. For Ukraine, this abrupt decision poses a dire crisis, forcing it to continue its fight with dwindling supplies.

The United States has provided Ukraine with approximately $175 billion in weapons and supplies, as approved by Congress, to counter Russia’s invasion. Washington has also urged European Union nations to contribute to Ukraine’s defense. However, diplomatic tensions flared on Feb. 28 when Trump clashed publicly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over security guarantees as a condition for ending the war. Trump has demanded access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as a quid pro quo for continued military aid, a move that has put the two allies at odds. The suspension of military assistance appears to be a retaliatory measure against Kyiv for rejecting an end to the war without security assurances. In a further breach of diplomatic norms, Trump has even openly suggested replacing Zelensky, signaling direct interference in Ukraine’s domestic affairs.

On the same day, Trump also imposed a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico as previously announced, launching a new front in his trade war. Since 1994, the three countries have enjoyed tariff-free trade under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which aimed to remove both tariff and nontariff barriers for economic cooperation. Contrary to expectations that his trade confrontation would focus primarily on China, Trump’s America First approach has proven ruthless, even toward U.S. allies.

With Trump upending traditional security and trade policies, the world is now entering an era of profound uncertainty. French Prime Minister François Bayrou criticized Trump harshly in the French parliament, stating that he “publicly humiliated an allied president with cruelty.” Meanwhile, NATO allies and Australia have signaled their intention to continue supporting Ukraine, showing signs of emerging fractures within the Western bloc.

During his presidency in 1969, Richard Nixon announced the Guam Doctrine, declaring that the United States would no longer act as the world’s policeman. However, Nixon’s approach was not a reckless abandonment of international order for the sake of narrow self-interest. The picture that has emerged over the past month and a half under the Trump administration is one of turmoil and unpredictability. While the significance of the Korea-U.S. alliance remains unchanged, it is now imperative for Seoul to craft a sophisticated diplomatic strategy to navigate this new and unfamiliar America.

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