Power play promises to upend old certainties

Commenting on US President Donald Trump's "America First" deal-making-oriented policies and practices, The Economist said that "Donald Trump has begun a mafia-like struggle for global power".

The dramatic meeting between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart in the White House on Friday, one day after the United Kingdom magazine predicted in that piece that Trump is putting an end to the post-1945 order, has prompted many in the West to realize that is a real challenge for the world to resolve, not only Ukraine.

That meeting offered a vivid demonstration that what the Trump team cared most about was the US people thinking it was doing a good job to protect US interests and dignity.

But many think just the opposite.

After the awkward meeting, a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found that a majority of respondents believe the state of the union is not strong, that the country is headed in the wrong direction and President Trump is rushing to make changes without considering their impact.

Although it is too early to say the transatlantic alliance has collapsed, by hyping up the possibility of the United Sates withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at this juncture, the Trump administration is apparently trying to heighten the pressure on Europe in a bid to further widen the divide between European countries.

The joint statement released after the London summit on Sunday clearly indicates Europe is still looking to the US to not only support Ukraine in its fight with Russia but also protect its own security. Something Trump quickly jumped on. "Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelensky, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US. Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?" he posted on his social media account.

After the Oval Office showdown, the resolution of the Ukraine crisis and the formation of the European security mechanism are still up in the air. But as with its "art of a deal" on other fronts, namely the Middle East crisis and the US' economic and trade relations with other major parties, the Trump administration is doubling down on its efforts to push the situation in Europe to develop in the direction it desires.

- Li Yang, China Daily