1/6 Finlandization 2.0?
When watching Western leaders interact with Trump, it’s hard not to get Finlandization vibes.
Not toward the USSR this time—but toward the US.
Are we entering Finlandization 2.0, where the West bends to Trump’s chaos instead of standing firm?
When watching Western leaders interact with Trump, it’s hard not to get Finlandization vibes.
Not toward the USSR this time—but toward the US.
Are we entering Finlandization 2.0, where the West bends to Trump’s chaos instead of standing firm?
2/6 Trump, like Putin, is a classic schoolyard bully:
He pushes the weak, but backs down when faced with strength.
Iran said no—now he’s offering them money.
Canada, trade wars, Putin—every time someone stood firm, he backed off.
Appeasement only feeds him
He pushes the weak, but backs down when faced with strength.
Iran said no—now he’s offering them money.
Canada, trade wars, Putin—every time someone stood firm, he backed off.
Appeasement only feeds him
3/6 Yet Western leaders keep tiptoeing around him.
Rutte’s messages were posted by Trump to mock him.
Stubb and many other European leaders speak of Trump with caution that feels eerily familiar to Cold War-era Finland.
We know who Trump is—and still act like he rules us
Rutte’s messages were posted by Trump to mock him.
Stubb and many other European leaders speak of Trump with caution that feels eerily familiar to Cold War-era Finland.
We know who Trump is—and still act like he rules us
4/6 Trump is pro-russian, anti-West, and destabilizing.
He weakens alliances, empowers authoritarians, and accelerates the decline of the US hegemony.
And yet…we let him decide Europe’s fate with Putin.
Why are we so afraid to say no?
He weakens alliances, empowers authoritarians, and accelerates the decline of the US hegemony.
And yet…we let him decide Europe’s fate with Putin.
Why are we so afraid to say no?
5/6 Appeasement has its strategic uses—but bullies don’t respect it.
They exploit it.
Ukraine appeased russia for years—got invaded in 2014.
I am not saying every Western leader should confront Trump all the time.
But sometimes, someone has to say no
They exploit it.
Ukraine appeased russia for years—got invaded in 2014.
I am not saying every Western leader should confront Trump all the time.
But sometimes, someone has to say no
6/6 After nearly a decade of appeasing Trump, maybe it’s time to try something else.
Not everywhere, not always—but when he crosses the line. Often.
Because if we keep bending, we risk breaking.
And the West can’t afford to break
Not everywhere, not always—but when he crosses the line. Often.
Because if we keep bending, we risk breaking.
And the West can’t afford to break
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