How dangerous is a man who has nothing to lose?

I think that any outcome to a Trump Putin alliance may not have the results they might expect.

Firstly, it will be a tenuous and shaky alliance steeped in suspicion and mistrust.

Secondly, as each party consolidates its position and makes a play for other territories, the alliance may not prove strong enough for the two countries to feel safe sharing intelligence.

Putin has found that the invasion of Ukraine has not proved an easy task. Indeed, even with an army 3 times the size, Ukraine has proved itself a formidable adversary and, notwithstanding the calamitous loss of life, particularly among ordinary working civilians, Russian gains have been slow and small. With the US withdrawing military support for Ukraine, Europe needs to move quickly to establish a consolidated alliance that not only assists Ukraine but acts as a defense for Europe as a whole.

Putin would rightly hesitate to invade other Baltic states if his army is struggling, and diminishing in the face of a country that will not yield, particularly as these are NATO members and it’s just a question of time before Ukraine joins the Alliance. The evidence is clear that there is no greater or more powerful adversary than those fighting for their freedom!

In the current trade embargo Trump is inflicting on Canada, the US will almost certainly come off worse. According to the Independent, new Canadian PM Mark Carney vows to fight the US trade war ‘until Trump shows respect’. Mr. Carney has said his experience as the first person to serve as the governor of two central banks – Canada and England – means he is the best candidate to deal with Mr. Trump. He said he supported dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs against the United States and a coordinated strategy to boost investment.

Trump is experiencing diminished support within the US. Indeed, some of his own voters have turned, watching as he buddies up to Putin. Many republicans are also expressing concern, and Trumps dismissive attitude towards his Generals does nothing to support his back. The American armed forces, though formidable, are neither omnipresent nor invincible, particularly when faced with freedom fighters. The David and Goliath story comes to mind and Russia’s military experience of slow gains and under-achievement should be taken under advisement by Trump. Indeed, he (Trump) may well find that his talk and actions will invoke a civil war, with some of his enemy made up from his erstwhile voters.

In 2023 during Donald Trump’s first administration, outgoing Joint Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that, “… the U.S. military owes its loyalty to the Constitution, not to a “wannabe dictator” in apparent reference to former President Donald Trump with whom he has clashed.” USA Today News Sept 2023

More recently in February this year, Trump has succeeded in causing anger and division with more disruption of military personnel.

Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, and pushed out five other admirals and generals in an unprecedented shake-up of U.S. military leadership. He also replaced the head of the U.S. Navy, a position held by Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead a military service, as well as the air force vice chief of staff.

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee commented by saying that, “…firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our service members require to achieve their missions.” Reuters Feb 2025

Reflecting on history regarding the plight of Ukraine, on August 23, 1989, about 2 million people from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania formed a human chain that united all 3 countries to show the world their desire to escape the Soviet Union and the communism that brought only suffering and poverty. This chain stretched 600 km and is a fine example of human solidarity in the face of adversity. It was the death knell for the USSR. This kind of solidarity is ever present today among East European countries and with NATO opening their doors to a new wider European alliance could provide the kind of strength and security that binds and protects the entire continent.

The combined military of all NATO members, has around 3.5 million soldiers and personnel. In addition to the 32 member states NATO recognizes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine as aspiring members. Military and NATO leaders from 30 countries are meeting in Paris to discuss security assurances for Ukraine following a hoped-for ceasefire deal. The meeting aligns with efforts to enhance Europe’s defenses and reduce reliance on the US during President Donald Trump’s administration.

The formidable force that Nato presents was demonstrated recently when Norway deployed two F-35 fighter jets to shadow Russian air activity in international air space where a major military exercise is taking place involving Norwegian and Nato forces.

Trump, who perhaps lives on the edge of fear, fear of being proved wrong, fear of ridicule, fear of losing voters, may well ignore all the signs that the US is heading towards a catastrophic economic downturn. Moreover, showing signs of a sociopathic nature the questions, how did we allow a convicted felon, an overt misogynist, a proven liar and an unpredictable aggressor ever to return to the White House? Perhaps the real question though is, was the voting rigged by Russian hackers working for the Kremlin in exchange for a cooperative alliance with Trump who is now compromised to support Russian initiatives in spreading further into Europe?

Although, on the surface Trump’s intentions appear alarming, and may invoke fear and instability, he is essentially an old man near the end of his career, showing small signs of incoherence, confusion and forgetfulness and has already failed to achieve his goals because his approach is heavily and visibly flawed, driving away support and ostracizing those most important to his country’s economic wellbeing. Soon to be 79, he has already alluded to the fact that he will not run for another term. This gives him 3 years and 10 months to carry out his agenda, if he has one. If he does not aspire to continue his administration, how dangerous does a man become when he has nothing to lose?