[GiRTh]

Every time someone tries to look tough on the world stage, it pushes us closer to a fight nobody actually wants. And Europe isn’t powerless. Some people in Washington talk as if Europe has no influence, but that’s simply not true.

If Europe really wanted to send a message, it could tell the US to close a few bases, bring its troops home, and manage the logistics on its own. That alone would force a rethink. It wouldn’t even be a major blow — many of those bases mainly support operations in the Middle East — but the threat itself would be enough to make Washington reconsider its tough‑guy approach.

Meanwhile, you can picture Putin watching all of this and realising he doesn’t need to do anything. The alliances he’s tried to weaken for years are wobbling because of internal arguments, not because of anything he’s doing.

And yes, it’s a risky moment. We’re getting close to a point where neither side feels able to step back, and that’s when small mistakes can turn into big problems.

At the same time, it has the feel of another short‑lived distraction. In a week, the world might be focused on something completely different — that’s how things go now, one outrage after another.

But the real concern is the unpredictability at the top. When the person with the biggest platform keeps throwing out surprises, it’s impossible to know what the next day will bring.