Lyse Doucet: Trump is shaking the world order more than any president since WW2

January 20, 2026

One year into his second presidential term, Donald Trump has shocked the international community by threatening to seize Greenland, marking an unprecedented break from post-WWII norms where no modern US president has threatened to forcibly take territory from a longtime ally. Trump frames his aggressive foreign policy through revived 19th-century doctrines of Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine, insisting "we have to have it" regarding Greenland and rejecting traditional multilateral approaches in favor of transactional, power-based diplomacy. His unpredictable style has left global allies scrambling between appeasement strategies—offering praise and gifts—and defensive measures like retaliatory tariffs, while his policy positions swing dramatically on issues from Ukraine to Iran.

Who is affected

Denmark and Greenland (threatened with forced annexation)
European Union member states and NATO allies
French President Emmanuel Macron
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
Canada and Prime Minister Mark Carney
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Iran
Hamas and Palestinian civilians in Gaza
Israeli hostages
Ukraine (affected by shifting US positions on Russia's war)
China and Russia (strategic competitors)

What action is being taken

Republican congressman Randy Fine has introduced the "Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act" in Congress
French President Macron is vowing to launch the EU's "trade bazooka" of counter-tariffs and market access restrictions
UK Prime Minister Starmer is publicly defending Greenland's territorial integrity
Canadian Prime Minister Carney is imposing retaliatory tariffs against the US (though scaling back due to economic pain)
NATO members are significantly increasing their defence spending in response to Trump's demands
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is attempting to walk back Trump's military threats on Greenland, emphasizing purchase over invasion
Trump is posting private diplomatic messages from world leaders on social media

Why it matters

This represents a fundamental rupture in the post-World War Two international order built on alliances, collective security, and respect for territorial sovereignty. Trump's willingness to threaten military action against democratic allies breaks precedents that have governed US foreign policy for over seventy years, potentially undermining NATO, international law, and the rules-based system that has maintained relative global stability. The shift toward transactional, power-based diplomacy over shared values threatens to create what Macron describes as "a world without rules" where imperial ambitions resurface and might makes right. This transformation affects global trade relationships, military alliances, and the ability of smaller nations to maintain sovereignty, while potentially emboldening adversaries like Russia and China who are watching with "watchful silence."

What's next

President Trump will speak at the Davos Economic Forum on Wednesday, with the world watching his remarks closely. Allied nations continue efforts to persuade, flatter, or pressure Trump to change course on Greenland and other aggressive policies through diplomatic engagement, economic measures, and personal relationship-building.

Read full article from source: BBC