LettersUS is showing itself to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing
Readers discuss Donald Trump’s moves related to Panama and Ukraine, and the recent imposition of tariffs
Countries can freely choose whether to join China’s infrastructure initiative. Argentinian President Javier Milei initially opted to distance his country from China, but has now pivoted.
Ukraine is another example. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was obviously relying on the West’s support and protection, especially that of the US. However the US has revealed itself to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh recently to discuss how to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia without the participation of Kyiv and the European Union.
Trump is now pushing for an agreement on Ukraine’s natural resources so the US can recoup the money spent on Ukraine, but is unwilling to offer security guarantees. Clearly there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
In the end, the US uses threats to secure its own interests. The perception of the West, especially the US, as a defender of democracy and liberty is just an illusion. The title of “defender” is a just a pretext for getting rid of its foes.