Luke Harding and Alastair Campbell: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest (Part One)

The post-war international order is fracturing as military power and national self-interest replace the rule of law. Donald Trump’s foreign policy, characterized by an alignment with Vladimir Putin, represents a fundamental betrayal of Ukraine through the withdrawal of military aid and the adoption of Kremlin disinformation. This shift is mirrored by a hollowed-out diplomatic process, where special envoys prioritize transactional business deals over geopolitical stability. Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s reluctance to escalate the conflict led to a slow-rolling of critical weaponry, further undermining Ukraine’s defensive efforts. A seminal moment of this realignment occurred at the United Nations, where the United States broke from its democratic allies to vote alongside Russia and North Korea. These developments signal a transition toward an increasingly volatile global landscape defined by coercion rather than established international norms.