Well-known American journalist and columnist for The New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman, sharply criticized US President Donald Trump after his decision to rename the Department of Defense to the "Department of War" and a series of posts on social media.
Friedman said such behavior undermines the authority of the United States and demonstrates Trump's lack of seriousness in dealing with Vladimir Putin's aggression. He sarcastically suggested renaming the White House "Waffle House" to emphasize the American leader's hesitation.
«"Our president sounds like a teenage blogger, not a leader of the free world," the journalist wrote, reacting to Trump's words about "Russia's violation of Polish airspace."».
Friedman stressed that Trump is effectively ignoring a fundamental understanding of NATO's role as the largest coalition of democracies and the rule of law. He also drew attention to the lack of any policy-making process in the current administration:
«There is no indication that Trump's statements are being vetted by State Department or CIA experts. His posts are personal improvisation, not state strategy».
The columnist warned that Trump's demands for tariffs against China or a ban on Europe's purchase of Russian oil look like populism, not the work of a responsible leader.
Friedman especially criticized Trump's formula "This is not my war. This is Biden and Zelensky's war." According to the journalist, such rhetoric is dangerous, because the American president avoids the main fact: it was Putin who started the aggression.
" Sorry, Mr. President. This is your war. Because only you can provide Ukraine with the resources to stop the Kremlin ," Friedman emphasized.
He added that if Trump allows Russia to win, he will go down in history alongside British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, a symbol of Hitler's appeasement policy.
Against this backdrop, European leaders are reaffirming their commitment to Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that a deal on Putin's terms would only push him to new aggressive steps. And French President Emmanuel Macron said that 26 countries had agreed to send or finance peacekeeping forces to guarantee Ukraine's security.
