Trump's second act: A shift in America's global role
The French daily "Le Monde" argues that Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections and the Republican Party's success in the Senate represent a "significant turning point for the United States" and a departure from America's path since World War II.
"The end of the American world" - states the article title, which will be published in print on Thursday.
"The course that Trump will set for his country - bolstered in this second term by his party's success in the Senate - fundamentally differs from the direction taken by the USA since the end of World War II. It signifies the end of the era of America as an open superpower, engaged globally, striving to be recognized as a democratic model. This model has been undermined over the past two decades. Donald Trump's return is the final blow," asserts "Le Monde".
The daily accuses Trump of viewing the world "exclusively through the prism of American national interests" and describes it as a world of "transactional diplomacy, which replaces alliances based on values."
The effects will extend beyond Ukraine's fate
"Le Monde" expresses concern that if Trump halts military aid to Ukraine and negotiates with Vladimir Putin for "peace beneficial to the aggressor," the consequences will "extend far beyond Ukraine's fate and affect the overall security of the continent."
According to "Le Monde," there is a "real risk" that, in this scenario, there will be "a division, or even a fracture in Europe," which would pose "an existential danger for the European Union."
EU leaders should "acknowledge this and address it without waiting for Trump to assume power," urges the French daily.
