DONALD J. TRUMP: POWER SOURCE OR PUPPET IN TODAY'S GLOBAL THEATER?
How much of what we are seeing on the current geopolitical stage is shadow play and how much can be taken at face value? Is Donald Trump driving events or are there others doing so from the shadows?
There is a new ‘Great Game’ occurring where previously highly predictable geopolitical checks and balances are apparently in the process of becoming less and less dependable as bedrock for analysis. Where a geopolitical status quo has long been assumed, assumptions as to the solidity of these political alliances are now in doubt.
The author of these changes appears to be Donald Trump. It must be said ‘appears to be’ as there is a view that he is merely the figurehead and focal point for the policies of others who lie in the shadows behind him. These hidden hands, in this view, are manipulating Trump with the intent to establish a geopolitical theater where the U.S. and Europe appear at odds but are in fact working together to establish global western hegemony.
Whether it is Donald Trump himself or Neocon or puppet-masters who are driving these seismic shifts in what were previously stable geopolitical tectonic plates is ultimately irrelevant. The undeniable fact is that the plates are moving. Clearly there must be something of an existential nature underlying this fact. An end game solution to either a perceived monumental crisis or to a perceived golden opportunity is in progress.
On the surface the push from the USA to radically change the previous geopolitical status quo appears highly irrational. Donald Trump, in a series of what appear on the surface to be rash and reckless statements over Greenland has (it seems) alienated European allies into major policy changes in regard to China. However, the impoverishment of Europe by U.S. foreign policy regarding Russia began much earlier, in 2014 with its fomented insurrection and coup in Ukraine. Britain and Europe disconnected valuable economic ties with Russia from 2014 onward especially in regard to energy.
Now, with the economic situation across Europe and including Britain reaching a critical stage it has become necessary to find a lifeline. That lifeline is seen as being available only from one source, China as the USA, through Donald Trump is solely focused on its own interests. Russia is no longer politically possible as a source of economic benefit to Britain or Europe and the USA has become more of an economic threat via tarrifs and demand that investment be funneled to the U.S. This leaves only one potential economic partner of any size.
Britain’s prime minister will soon visit Beijing to discuss trade deals. While he does so an enormous new Chinese embassy is being constructed in the heart of London. Germany’s Friedrich Merz is also scheduled to arrive in Beijing before long to discuss “bilateral relations” with the Chinese. While Macron of France seeks increased Chinese investment, and recently met with Chinese leaders to “beg for more trade” as a buffer against U.S. trade wars, others such as Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Robert Fico of Slovakia and Petteri Orpo of Finland are all seeking closer ties with China.
On the surface it would appear that Donald Trump (or his advisers) are driving Britain and Europe into the arms of China. On the face of it this seems contrary to U.S. interests however, there is another view to be taken into consideration here. In his analysis the U.S. and Britain/EU are working in coordination in their long-formulated and continuing goal of weakening, subverting and ultimately dividing Russia into easily controlled parts. In the process he sees this process by Trump (or the Neocons manipulating him) as inadvertently assuring the creation of a multipolar world.
Google AI:
Brian Berletic, an independent geopolitical analyst and former US Marine, views Donald Trump’s rhetoric not as a departure from traditional US policy, but as a “rebranding” of a long-standing agenda for global hegemony.
His analysis of the current “split” between the U.S. and Europe, particularly regarding the Arctic and Greenland, suggests it is more a strategic maneuver than a genuine breakdown in alignment.
1. Rhetoric vs. Reality: “America First” as War Rebranded
Berletic argues that Trump’s “America First” and “anti-war” rhetoric is a public-facing mask for an ongoing policy of conflict.
The Trap Concept: He believes the U.S. remains committed to establishing global primacy and preventing rivals from emerging.
Continued Aggression: Despite peace-leaning statements, Berletic points to increasing pressure on Iran, preparation for conflict with China, and the continued arming of proxies as evidence that the fundamental foreign policy drivers (special interests) have not changed.
2. The “Division of Labor” with Europe
Berletic interprets the apparent split with Europe as a calculated “division of labor” rather than a true divorce.
Proxy Continuity: He suggests Trump may “walk away” from conflicts like Ukraine to appear peaceful, while expecting European proxies to take over the burden of the conflict.
Deceptive Separation: This division allows the U.S. to focus resources on its “pivot to China” while still using European allies to continue the containment of Russia under the guise of “unilateral” European action.
Resource Extraction: Berletic views this as a way to force Europe to divert its own resources into proxy wars that serve U.S. interests, even if those actions appear to oppose Trump’s official rhetoric.
3. The Arctic and Greenland Context
In his recent 2025 and early 2026 analyses, Berletic views the U.S. push for Greenland and Arctic dominance as a core component of this geopolitical agenda:
Trans-Arctic Alliance: He posits that the U.S. economy’s fragility is driving a shift toward a more isolationist, trans-Arctic strategy.
Disrupting Hegemony: He argues that Trump’s use of tariffs and territorial threats (like the Greenland acquisition) are tools to disrupt the old Western hegemony and enforce a new, U.S.-centric order.