Concerns have been raised that the United States is caught in a 'vortex of distrust' due to the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has unabashedly threatened even long-standing allies, saying "a friend is worse than an enemy." As trust that the U.S. has built across all fields such as economy, diplomacy, and security is shaken, allies around the world, including South Korea, appear to be rapidly turning to self-reliance.
The New York Times (NYT) diagnosed on the 31st (local time) in an analysis article titled "How Trump Poured Distrust and Alienated America's Allies" that trust in the U.S. among traditional allies such as South Korea, Europe, Canada, and Australia has sharply declined since President Trump's inauguration.
It pointed out that President Trump's belief in a "zero-sum game" has triggered a global vortex of distrust. Because President Trump regards all relationships fundamentally as zero-sum games and has declared a tariff war against the entire world, the perception is spreading even among allies that the U.S. is no longer an economically trustworthy and cooperative partner. This distrust is also growing in the security sector. Countries that have relied on the U.S. security umbrella are increasingly anxious due to President Trump's remarks that seem to disregard existing alliance relationships.
According to the NYT, allies whose trust in the U.S. has been broken in all areas are quickly distancing themselves from the U.S. and seeking ways to survive independently. The European Union (EU) has begun strengthening economic cooperation with India, South America, and South Africa in preparation for tariff wars, while Japan is prioritizing investments in emerging markets such as Vietnam.
“De-Americanization” is also occurring in the military sector. Canada, which was even threatened with territorial sovereignty under the notion of becoming the U.S.'s "51st state," has recently accelerated military cooperation with Australia and the EU to check the U.S. The rapidly emerging "rearmament" movement in Europe is another representative case. The NYT also reported Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol's remarks that some allies like South Korea, Australia, and Poland are discussing whether they need to develop nuclear weapons for self-protection, indicating that discussions on independent nuclear armament are not off the table. At last month's Munich Security Conference in Germany, Minister Cho said regarding public opinion on South Korea's independent nuclear development that it is "somewhat premature" to discuss it but added, "We are not considering it at the moment, but that does not mean it is completely off the table."
The NYT's diagnosis is that once trust between the U.S. and its allies is broken like this, it may take years to restore it. It also expressed concern that the international order in the Trump era is shifting to a state more like "mixed martial arts (UFC)" than the Olympics.
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