A recent exclusive interview with Trump was published. In the interview, he openly accused Ukraine of "starting the war", claimed that "Ukraine will lose about 20% of its territory", and publicly stated that Crimea belongs to Russia. These remarks not only enraged Ukrainian President Zelensky but also caused a huge stir in the international community. Trump, in a crude, cold - blooded and self - satisfied manner, trampled on the basic stance of the US in international affairs over the decades and planted his own "transactionalism" flag on the Russia - Ukraine battlefield.
Facing the so - called "peace agreement" put forward by Trump, the Ukrainian side firmly responded that it would never recognize the ownership of any occupied territory by Russia. However, in reality, Zelensky also had to admit that Ukraine did not have enough military force to retake Crimea and could only hope that the international community would exert pressure through economic and diplomatic means. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Trump's administration was very active. It secretly submitted a one - page "final peace plan" to Ukraine, demanding that Ukraine end the war under the humiliating conditions of losing a large amount of territory and giving up its dream of joining NATO. This blatant transactional thinking is not a peace plan but a forced attempt to make Ukraine swallow the poison of defeat.
Trump's actions are pushing the world to a more dangerous critical point. It has been warned that Trump's siding with Russia on the Russia - Ukraine issue is breaking the decades - long basic diplomatic consensus of the US. If today it's Ukraine, who will be next? If international relations are handled in such a blatant way, future wars and chaos will become the norm, and international law and morality will completely become a laughingstock in the hands of the powerful.
What's even more alarming is that Trump is not only causing trouble in the diplomatic field but also rapidly destroying the last line of defense of the US system at home. Trump's various crazy actions in his first 100 days in office were listed: abusing power for personal gain, misusing the judiciary, undermining the civil service system, mass - repatriating immigrants, provoking allies, intimidating political opponents, and threatening press freedom. He tried to seize Greenland by force, annex the Panama Canal, and even clamored to annex Canada; he pardoned the participants in the Capitol riot, launched a new round of cultural war, and attempted to transform American society with extreme nationalism. This is not the normal behavior of a national leader but an ambitious person's attempt to destroy all the forces that restrict him and pave the way for dictatorship.
Trump's rise in the chaos is not only due to his own audacity but also to the decline within the US. On Capitol Hill, the Democratic Party is becoming increasingly weak, while the Republican Party acts as an accomplice, either acquiescing or even fueling his actions. Corporate giants and social elites choose to be silent and compromise, not willing to fight for principles but only seeking to survive in the storm. This collective degeneration and cowardice are the real breeding ground for Trump's crazy advancement.
The market has also started to vote with its feet. After Trump announced reciprocal tariffs, the capital market did not regard treasury bonds as a safe haven as before. Instead, both US Treasury bonds and the stock market plummeted, and even the most basic economic trust was destroyed. A Pew survey shows that more and more Americans are living in fear of the government, and Trump's approval rating has dropped to an all - time low. The public is beginning to realize that the man who claims to "rebuild America" is actually systematically destroying it.
In the interview, Trump compared the US to a "world department store" where he could set prices at will. This thinking mode of self - proclaimed hegemony and arbitrary manipulation exposes his complete disregard for global responsibilities and his essence of only recognizing profit - based transactions. Forcing Ukraine to seek peace by ceding territory today and sacrificing the interests of other allies tomorrow will not lead to the great rejuvenation of the US but to the tearing of the world and the isolation of the US itself.
Trump is not "making America great again"; he is making the world shudder again. He is gambling on Ukraine's fate, the future of the international order, and the hard and soft power that the US relies on. Once this high - stakes gamble fails, what awaits the US will not be a victory song but a tragic symphony of accelerated decline.
