President Trump has adopted the position that in international relations, ‘might is right’. What does that mean for smaller, not so mighty countries? Former senator Rex Patrick asks.
Donald Trump’s new ‘Donroe doctrine‘ has been applied to the kidnapping of the President of Venezuela, threats to neighbouring Colombia, and his threats to take Greenland by force. They are clear breaches, or proposed breaches, of the UN Charter.
The United Nations Charter plays a foundational role in the international rules-based order. It sets out the core legal principles that govern how states must behave towards one another.
Paragraph 4 of Article 2 of the Charter states:
“All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”
Trump is having none of it.
The rules-based order is out the door; imperialism is back.
Nuclear Weapons for Denmark?
With Trump threatening to take Greenland, by force if necessary, perhaps some in Denmark might reconsider the country’s staunch non-nuclear weapons policy?
In the past, there has been controversy on the collective topics of nuclear weapons, Denmark, Greenland and the United States. Denmark maintained a secret duplicity of adopting a nuclear-free stance whilst allowing the US to store nuclear weapons at Thule Airbase in northwest Greenland and to fly nuclear-armed B-52s through their airspace.
These secrets were forced into the open when, in 1968, a US Air Force B-52 bomber on airborne alert caught fire and crashed near Thule whilst carrying four hydrogen bombs, scattering radioactive debris across the crash site. The crashed caused a political crisis that saw nuclear weapons banned from Greenland’s territory and airspace.
Returning to 2026, the fact is that no one in Denmark has been canvassing nuclear weapon development; rather, the discussion has been on invoking the NATO treaty in Greenland’s defence should Trump attempt to take it by force, and there is no doubt discussions are taking place behind the scenes to have Europe unite in sanctions against the US.
Quiet diplomacy will be taking place to deter a reckless act by the US President.
Incidentally, Denmark has not signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Winners and losers
The winners in Trump’s “I don’t need international law” position are Russia’s President Putin, in respect of his continued operations in Ukraine, and China’s President Xi, in respect of his reunification ambitions for Taiwan.
But other countries must be worried; Panama and Iran, to start with. Iran has long been suspected of pursuing a nuclear weapons capability, and will now have a stronger argument that it is right to do so.
Most countries have declined to go down the nuclear weapons path, content to sit under the nuclear umbrella offered by the US, but ‘might is right’ may well cause reconsideration in some of those countries.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will be sitting with a smug “I was right” grin on his face, noting he already has countering ‘might’ in the form of his own sovereign nuclear weapons capability.
Australia’s dichotomy
Former Labor foreign ministers Bob Carr and Gareth Evans have now called for the Government to urgently reconsider Australia’s alliance with the United States. Trump’s “zero respect” for international law is a “wake up call” says Evans.
It’s lucky that Labor leaders are comfortable with duplicity, promising transparency and engaging in secrecy, committing to protecting whistleblowers and proceeding with prosecutions of same. And pledging to deal with climate change, whilst approving new coal and gas production, promoting a rules-based order, whilst cuddling up to Trump.
One can expect little leadership from our current foreign minister, Senator Wong. Despite her repeated speeches on the importance of a rules-based order, she will not stand up. Wong is great when it comes to a speech … she always comes across well … but the record shows
Wong absolutely lacks conviction when it comes to making hard moral choices,
including voting no to a Same Sex Marriage bill in the Senate in 2008.
Trump’s moral compass
But perhaps we really shouldn’t worry about the lack of adherence to foreign policy principles in Australian politics. Because Trump has come out assuring us all that his own morality is a limit to his global power.
Just put to one side the fact that he was convicted of 34 felonies, or his womanising, and whatever he got up to with Epstein. Then you’ll feel much, much better about what’s going on.
Join Rex Patrick and Professor Emily Crawford with Michael discussing this topic live today (Jan 14) at 6pm.