'The rules have changed': America's allies signal panic after latest 'stunning shift'

On the eve of the Munich Security Conference, when defense leaders meet from around the globe to discuss strengthening alliances, European leaders are more concerned than ever about the reliability of the Trump administration, according to a report.

Since he took office, Trump has "insisted NATO members massively boost their defense spending, dismissed the U.S. military’s role in Europe, frozen foreign aid, advocated taking over Greenland, treated Russia as a negotiating partner and threatened to pull support from Ukraine," wrote Paul McLeary and Jacopo Barigazzi in a piece for Politico Thursday.

Now his administration is set to come face-to-face with their European counterparts on Friday. "And while allies have experience navigating the disruptions and uncertainties of the U.S. president, this administration is a more expansionist and aggressive one than they’ve faced before," wrote McLeary and Barigazzi.

François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, told Politico, “The rules of the game have changed," thanks to Trump's heavy reliance on punitive tariffs and his stated desire to annex Canada as a 51st state.

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In addition, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made it clear this week that "priorities such as China and securing the southern border mean that 'stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe.'”

Jan Lipavský, the Czech Republic’s minister of foreign affairs told Politico, “We don’t know what the U.S. will propose, so everyone is looking to Munich."

According to the writers, "The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment. But Trump said Wednesday that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about negotiating an end to the war. The conversation, which signaled a stunning shift in strategy with Moscow, will likely prove a major topic this weekend."

European officials will be listening for a specific U.S. plan for Ukraine, the article continued, "and want a promise that Trump will play hardball with Putin. Some diplomats fear the U.S. president strengthens Putin’s hand by showing he wants to make a deal."

Read the Politico article here.