Whose side is the U.S. on? Doubts strain alliances

Japan Times

5 hours ago

Winston Churchill told a story of an 1895 encounter, as a young cavalry officer, with the statesman William Harcourt. After some discussion of great issues, Churchill asked eagerly: "What will happen then?' Harcourt replied, with Victorian complacency: "My dear Winston, the experiences of a long life have convinced me that nothing ever happens.'
Few people 130 years later could succumb to any similar delusion in a world that seems to have consigned itself to perpetual turmoil. Most recently, Poland has frightened European capitals by electing a right-wing, anti-European Union president. The British government published a long-awaited strategic defense review, which proposes rearmament to bring about "war-fighting readiness,' according to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as Ukraine launched stunning drone strikes against bomber bases deep inside Russia.
There is more. At a conference in Singapore recently, France's president warned of dire consequences for democracies if Russia prevails in Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian nations to stand up tall against Chinese aggression as Australia's defense minister challenged China to justify its huge military and naval buildup. His Philippines counterpart said China has been "absolutely irresponsible and reckless in appropriating most, if not all of the South China Sea, and the world cannot tolerate this.'