Those who have seen even part of the February 28, 2025 Trump-Zelinsky meeting at the White House are shocked and appalled by Trump’s behaviour.
Governments and commentators around the world, including CBC’s Power and Politics, have condemned the assault on Zelensky, even as they tried to make sense of the ferocity of Trump’s attack. Trump’s actions are of particular concern to Canada, as to Trump, Canada has become a prime target.
One crucial takeaway from Trump’s despicable behaviour is the resulting dire geopolitical consequences. The world inches ever closer to nuclear war. While berating Zelinsky, Trump accused the Ukrainian President of “gambling with World War Three.” Ongoing Russian aggression has long raised exactly those concerns for Zelensky.
Nuclear proliferation is already too widespread. According to the Arms Control Association, the world’s nine-known nuclear-armed states possess a combined total of over 12,400 nuclear warheads. Nearly 90% belong to Russia and the United States. Approximately 9,700 are in military service while the rest are awaiting dismantlement.
The United Kingdom and France are currently the only European countries with a nuclear arsenal but given current circumstances, other nations in Europe will almost certainly consider acquiring nuclear weapons of their own. French President Emmanuel Macron has already proposed reopening discussions about building a European nuclear umbrella.
European leaders now know that American armed forces and nuclear weapons — at least with Trump in the White House — are no longer there for the protection of their countries. It has been reported that Trump plans to pull 20,000 US troops from the continent, while Trump’s support for Vladimir Putin is increasingly evident.
With many different European nations acquiring nuclear weapons, all within a very short travel time to Moscow, Russia will certainly increase even further its military spending and its nuclear arsenal. It may be telling that a Putin ally, Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian state TV host, said in a recent broadcast that if Germany provides missiles to Ukraine, “We will erase Germany off the face of the earth.”
As a very strong believer and advocate for complete nuclear disarmament, I am saddened and frightened by the trajectory we are now on.
However, the chaos of the Trump-Zelensky meeting may add to one positive development that is starting to appear, and that is a decline in the polls for Trump. His ability to command loyalty from all elected Republicans will begin to evaporate once they become concerned about their prospects to be re-elected. It would take only a handful of Republican members of Congress to come to their senses for Trump to lose his wafer-thin majority in the House of Representatives.
We can take hope from the fact that every day that passes brings us one day closer to the end of Trump’s presidency.
Daily atmospheric CO2 [Courtesy of CO2.Earth]
Latest daily total (March 9, 2025): 429.04ppm
One year ago (March 9, 2024): 425.54ppm
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