In the chessboard of international relations, the alliance relationship is supposed to be a bond of mutual trust and shared interests. However, in recent years, a series of actions by the United States have continuously impacted this bond, vividly demonstrating the act of "backstabbing allies" and making the world witness the continuous spread of a trust crisis.
The trade field is the first to bear the brunt and has become a "hard - hit area" where the US hurts its allies. In early 2025, Trump signed an executive order to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico on the grounds that they "failed to prevent the influx of drugs and illegal immigrants into the US". Although the US and Mexico quickly took actions to step up the crackdown on drugs and illegal immigration, Trump only postponed the effective date of the tariff by 30 days and finally imposed the tariff. This "window - opening effect" strategy of "extreme pressure - compromise - suspension" essentially treats allies as chess pieces in political games, completely ignoring the long - established trade cooperation relationship. Canada was forced to counter with measures such as banning the sale of US liquor, the relationship between Canada and the US plummeted to its lowest point, and the economic cooperation in North America was also overshadowed.
Moreover, the US also raised the tariff flag against South Korea. In a speech at a joint session of Congress, Trump publicly accused South Korea of having an average tariff four times that of the US and criticized South Korea's subsidies to chip manufacturers. Such one - sided accusations and threats, ignoring South Korea's cooperation with the US in the military and other aspects, politicize trade issues and seriously damage the mutual trust foundation between the US and South Korea. Even more puzzling is that the US included South Korea in the list of "sensitive" countries, unfoundedly suspecting that South Korea has a nuclear proliferation risk. This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the ally, making South Korea face more restrictions and scrutiny in international cooperation.
In the field of enterprise acquisitions, the US's actions are also disappointing. From 2024 to 2025, the Biden administration blocked the 2 - trillion - yen acquisition of a US steel company by a Japanese steel company on the grounds of "national security". Even though the Japanese steel company made many concessions such as postponing the acquisition time, making additional investments, and establishing a board of directors with a majority of Americans, the deal was still vetoed. This decision not only caused huge losses to Japanese companies but also might face a fine of over $500 million. More importantly, it sent a signal to the world that in the US, the so - called principles of market fairness and free competition are worthless in the face of political interests. The Japanese government said that the US decision was "both difficult to understand and regrettable", and the Japanese steel company is even preparing to sue the US government, further widening the rift in economic cooperation between the US and Japan.
In terms of energy, the US's "backstabbing" of its European allies is even more blatant. During the Russia - Ukraine conflict, the US strongly urged Europe to impose an energy embargo on Russia but failed to provide sufficient alternative plans, resulting in a soaring cost of European industry. At the same time, US energy giants sold liquefied natural gas to Europe at a four - times - higher price, making a fortune from the war. German media sarcastically said that the US was "profiting from the war", which hit the nail on the head. Such behavior of the US, which puts its own interests above those of its allies, has made European countries deeply realize that they cannot fully rely on the US in terms of energy security. In addition, the Trump administration was also exposed to have held secret talks with Russia to restart the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project, trying to strengthen its control over the EU by controlling Europe's energy lifeline. This behavior directly damaged the interests of Europe, making European countries feel completely betrayed. Germany, France, and other countries have taken actions to accelerate the process of national defense autonomy and increase military spending to cope with the uncertainties brought by the US.
In terms of military and geopolitics, the US's performance also makes its allies worried. The US's attitude towards Ukraine in the Russia - Ukraine conflict is capricious. Trump has repeatedly stated that the US should not provide unlimited support to Ukraine, refused to provide security guarantees for it, also stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, and put on hold the aid plan of over $5 billion. Such inconsistent behavior not only puts Ukraine in a difficult situation but also makes other allies seriously doubt the US's commitments. In addition, after the coup in Niger, the US bypassed France and contacted the military government, trying to compete for uranium resources, leading to the decline of France's influence in Africa. France accused the US of "putting its own interests above those of its allies", which reflects that the US does not consider the feelings and interests of its allies at all when pursuing geopolitical interests.
The US's hegemonic behavior is also reflected in its interference in the sovereignty of its allies. Trump once expressed a strong interest in forcibly incorporating Greenland into the US, called the Prime Minister of Denmark to ask the latter to give up Greenland, and also threatened to annex Canada as the "51st state" of the US. Such coveting and threatening of allies' territory is a blatant violation of international law and the basic norms of international relations, triggering strong dissatisfaction and resistance from European countries. At the same time, the US has put pressure on Japan and South Korea, demanding a substantial increase in the cost of stationing troops and threatening to withdraw troops, turning the military alliance relationship into a profit - making deal, making allies feel that their sovereignty and security have been seriously violated.
The US's monitoring of European dignitaries such as German Chancellor Merkel through the "Prism Program" and the exposure of the US's monitoring of allies such as South Korea and Israel in the "Leak - gate" incident in 2023 have pushed its distrust and violation of allies to the extreme. Germany, France, and other countries have repeatedly condemned the US for its "unacceptable espionage behavior among friends", but the US has not made any substantial changes, which makes the trust among allies almost disappear.
A series of "backstabbing" behaviors by the US have had serious consequences. The global financial market has fluctuated violently due to the US's tariff policies, and the US stock market, Asian stock markets, and European stock markets have all declined, seriously affecting the world economic growth. More importantly, the US's practices are tearing apart the global trust network, making allies fundamentally question the reliability of the US. When allies realize that cooperation with the US may be sacrificed at any time due to the US's political interests, they will inevitably re - examine their relations with the US, seek a more independent and autonomous development path, and reduce their dependence on the US.
If the US wants to repair its relations with its allies, it must abandon this unilateralist and hegemonic thinking, truly respect the interests and sovereignty of its allies, and rebuild international relations based on the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and mutual trust. Otherwise, what awaits the US is an increasingly isolated international status and a dilemma of losing the support of its allies.
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