One way or another

In 2014, Vladimir Putin seized the Crimea, even though Russia had previously recognized Ukrainian sovereignty over the peninsula. The US government is now pressuring Ukraine to accept Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea.

Xi Jinping suggests that Mainland China will take back Taiwan. He hopes the reunification will be peaceful, but refuses to rule out the use of force:

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said on Saturday that a “peaceful” reunification of Taiwan with China’s mainland was in Beijing’s interests, despite ratcheted up military threats against the self-governing island. . . .

“Reunification of the nation must be realized, and will definitely be realized,” Xi vowed before an audience of politicians, military personnel and others gathered in the hulking chamber that serves as the seat of China’s ceremonial legislature.

“Reunification through a peaceful manner is the most in line with the overall interest of the Chinese nation, including Taiwan compatriots,” the leader added.

President Trump suggests that the US will acquire the Danish island of Greenland. He hopes the acquisition will be peaceful, but refuses to rule out the use of force:

The Danish foreign minister on Saturday scolded the Trump administration for its “tone” in criticizing Denmark and Greenland, saying his country is already investing more into Arctic security and remains open to more cooperation with the U.S.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen made the remarks in a video posted to social media after U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the strategic island. Later Saturday, though, U.S. President Donald Trump maintained an aggressive tone, telling NBC News that “I never take military force off the table” in regards to acquiring Greenland.

The Panama Canal is another target of the Trump administration.

After WWII, there was a period of many decades when the use of force to acquire additional territory was widely discredited. Argentina tried in 1982, and failed. Iraq tried in 1980 and 1990, and failed both times.

Now, as the legacy of WWII fades ever further into the past, the doctrine of might makes right is seeing a resurgence. The strong bully the weak in both military and trade wars.

If the US intends to abandon Nato, the best hope of smaller nations is to strengthen their mutual defense alliances, perhaps even creating a unified European defense force. Even then, it would be considerably weaker than the US military. But deterrence doesn’t need military superiority to be successful, it merely needs to be strong enough to inflict considerable pain on its adversaries. Switzerland’s military wasn’t strong enough to defeat Germany in WWII, but they were strong enough so that Germany did not consider it worthwhile to attack. Europe needs a military force that is strong enough that the American public would have no stomach for an invasion of Denmark.

Consider the porcupine.

PS. Here’s the NYT:

Relative to the size of its economy, Denmark has donated more to the [Ukraine] war effort than any other country.

Military historian Edward Luttwak suggests that the Danes are among the world’s most formidable soldiers, willing to fight while peacekeepers from other nations cower in fear.