The famous song of Miley Cyrus fits perfectly with Donald Trump. The current system that has sustained the West since the end of World War II is being eroded from within, and the main culprit would be the United States. It is the central accusation of the. leaves no room for doubt: “Trump is a wrecking ball”.
This is the conclusion of the document presented a few days before the start of the annual conference – one of the most influential events on the geopolitical calendar – which uses a harsher tone than usual. Experts speak openly of an era of “destroying politics” that threatens to dismantle the international order built after 1945.
United States, from architect to demolition
The paradox is one of the axes of the report. Donald Trump, leader of the country that contributed most to creating the post-war multilateral system, is identified as the actor most actively weakening it.
“Under Trump, the United States has largely abandoned the role of leader of the free world”state the authors. More than 80 years after the beginning of its construction, the liberal international order would now be in the process of destruction, not by a rival power, but by its main historical guarantor.
Europe, between alarm and helplessness
The context explains the forcefulness. Europe experiences Russian military aggression with growing concernthe fragility of the and the accelerated redefinition of Washington’s security strategy.
Added to this are episodes that, until recently, seemed unthinkable: from the imposition of tariffs on historical allies to Trump’s comments about annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
The report includes, black on white, concerns that many European leaders have expressed privatelybut rarely so explicitly. The underlying fear is clear: a more unstable world, less predictable and governed by the law of the strongest.
Rejection from Washington
The official response from the US was immediate. The ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, flatly rejected the diagnosis: “I don’t see a world in ruins”he stated during an event linked to the presentation of the report. According to Whitaker, the Trump administration does not intend to dismantle NATO.
His explanation was almost pedagogical: he compared the transatlantic relationship to raising children. “When they are little they depend on you, but as time goes by you hope they get a job”he said, suggesting that Europe must take more responsibility for its own defense.
Democracies in crisis and disruptive leaders
the report paints a broader picture. Includes survey data showing a growing disenchantment in rich democracieswhere large sectors of the population have lost faith in the ability of traditional institutions to improve their future.
That breeding ground, experts warn, favors the rise of leaders who question the rules of the system. The report explicitly cites Argentine President Javier Milei as another beneficiary of this trend, although it emphasizes that the global impact of the United States is incomparably greater.
Basic rules in question
One of the harshest passages in the document points to what it considers violations of fundamental principles of the postwar order. “Perhaps most shocking,” the authors write, is that the US under Trump has ignored basic norms such as territorial integrity and the prohibition of threatening or using force against other states.
Added to this are aggressive trade policies, erratic support for Ukraine, and drastic cuts in international aid, decisions that, together, mark a profound shift with respect to the post-1945 consensus.
A more insecure and transactional world
The report’s conclusion is pessimistic. “Demolition” policies can lead to a less secure and less prosperous world, where principled cooperation is replaced by purely transactional agreements, Private interest takes precedence over public interest and the regions are dominated by local hegemons. instead of universal standards.
Neither Trump nor the vice president J.D. Vance will attend this year’s conference, marked by this growing tension. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to speak on Saturday.
