As Trump alienates allies, China, Russia watch on with glee
- Tridivesh Singh Maini
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff wars and controversial remarks over Greenland – even threatening military action – have caused much consternation to allies in Europe and elsewhere. While checking China’s further rise has often been the justification behind much of his foreign policy, Trump’s actions risk playing right into the hands of the powers that be in Beijing and Moscow.
Donald Trump’s tariff wars and his approach on several security issues has created global uncertainty and dented U.S. ties with allies. One of the important issues in this context is Trump’s insistence regarding U.S. control of Greenland. While speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the U.S. President stated that he wanted to “get Greenland, including right, title and ownership”.
On 17 January 2026, Trump had announced the imposition of 10% tariffs, beginning 1 February 2026, on goods from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Several European leaders had criticised the decision.
On the sidelines of the WEF, following a meeting with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, Trump said that they had agreed on a “framework” regarding a future deal with Greenland and the Arctic region. In a post on Truth Social, he added: “I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st”.
Earlier, during his address at the WEF, the U.S. President said he would refrain from using force to capture Greenland. Even though Trump’s announcements regarding Greenland would be welcome, ties between U.S. and European nations have already witnessed a significant down-turn. The U.S. President did criticise other NATO members during his address.
An uncertain world order
U.S. Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick in his address at the WEF said that globalisation had failed the west and criticised the old world order. The point that the world order has become more uncertain and U.S. allies will need to re-work their strategies to navigate the current order was highlighted by French President, Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
During his address, PM Carney made a significant point:
“Allies will diversify to hedge against uncertainty. They'll buy insurance, increase options in order to rebuild sovereignty – sovereignty that was once grounded in rules, but will increasingly be anchored in the ability to withstand pressure.”
Meanwhile, Macron during his address at the WEF, highlighted the collapse of multilateralism and flagged the need for cooperation. He pointed to the need for greater cooperation and “building bridges” between G7 and BRICS nations. France currently holds the Presidency of G7 while India holds the Chairmanship of BRICS. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also highlighted the changes in the world order and said that the U.S. was being challenged by Russia and China.
In another development which clearly signals the fact that the Trump administration has no time for multilateralism, the U.S. has pulled out of the World Health Organisation (the U.S. was one of the founding members of the WHO). The Trump administration made this announcement on 22 January 2026. The key reason cited by the U.S. for pulling out of the organisation was the WHO’s mishandling of Covid. During his previous tenure, Trump had hinted at leaving the WHO. The U.S. owes more than USD 130 million to the WHO.
Trump’s policies and non-NATO allies
It is not just U.S. ties with Europe and Canada which have got impacted but also Asian allies – Japan, South Korea and partners like India.
Countries like Russia and China are paying close attention to this rift. While commenting on the issue of Greenland, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that what happens in Greenland is none of “Russia’s business”, though he also added that Denmark had treated Greenland as a colony and was “harsh” if not “cruel”. While speaking at a press conference on 20 January 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Greenland was not a natural part of Denmark and that the issue of “former colonial territories” was becoming more serious.
Despite the remarks of Putin, it is clear that Russia would not mind Trump’s emphasis on Greenland and the weakening of ties between the U.S. and other NATO members. Many commentators have also pointed out that Trump gets along better with authoritarian leaders.
Allies taking a nuanced approach vis-à-vis China
In response to Trump’s policies, countries are adopting a pragmatic approach vis-à-vis China. A strong example is the visit of Canadian PM Carney to China, during the course of which both countries made some important announcements pertaining to bilateral trade. Notably, Canada eased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, while China will reduce tariffs on Canadian agricultural products.
Trump issued a warning to Canada that if it went ahead with the deal, the U.S. would impose 100% tariffs on Canadian goods imported to the U.S., saying in a post on Truth Social on 23 January 2026:
"If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.”
The Canadian PM has clarified on 25 January 2026 that the North American nation has no plans of signing a trade agreement with China. Said Carney: “What we have done with China is to rectify some issues that developed in the last couple of years.”
The Canadian PM did have a conversation with Trump on 26 January 2026, where they discussed important geopolitical developments – including Venezuela and Ukraine – as well as the USMCA, a free-trade pact between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Carney did reiterate that he stood by his Davos speech.
The United Kingdom’s PM Keir Starmer also embarked upon a three day visit to China during 28-31 January 2026. Starmer highlighted the point that China is important for the U.K., though the latter needs to be mindful of differences between the two countries. Starmer’s visit was the first by a British PM to China in 8 years.
India’s Presidency of BRICS
India which took over the Presidency of BRICS on 1 January 2026 has also re-oriented its foreign policy. India has articulated, on several multilateral platforms, not just the issues related to the Global South, but also sought to reduce tensions with China. Indian PM Narendra Modi visited China in connection with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2025 (August 31-September 1).
India is likely to take a balanced position on important geopolitical issues, while adopting a pragmatic stance since it has emerged as an important bridge between G7 and the Global South in recent years. While pushing for mechanisms for enhancing trade in local currencies, India has distanced itself from the idea of a BRICS common currency, which highlights the point that it is adopting a nuanced approach.
In conclusion, it is true that there were problems with the earlier world order. The Canadian PM made an apt point saying there was no need for ‘nostalgia’ over the past. Apart from this, Trump’s belief that allies should contribute more towards security is in sync with his agenda of ‘America First’, yet all the differences with allies can be handled in a subtler manner. While Trump often cites checking China’s further rise as one of his key objectives, the biggest beneficiary of the growing discord between the U.S. and its allies and partners is Beijing.
Disclaimer: The article expresses the author’s views on the matter and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any institution they belong to or of Trivium Think Tank and the StraTechos website.
Tridivesh Singh Maini is an Assistant Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), where he has been teaching since August 2014. His research interests include — India’s ties with its extended neighbourhood (with a focus on Gulf and Iran), geo-economics in South Asia, the role of India’s states in the country’s external relations, The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and BRICS.
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