Did General Charles De Gaulle have a crystal ball? He was the French President in 1960s, and possibly France’s last giant of of a leader since 1945. He did not believe the assurances of American nuclear protection if a war broke out. Would an American President be prepared to sacrifice New York to protect Berlin or Paris? This was why France developed its own nuclear weapons programme. France joined that exclusive club of nuclear weapons owning states.

De Gaulle could not have predicted that one day, his fears would come true. He could not have predicted Donald Trump being elected as President. Trump is the definition of The Ugly American. Loud, brash and ignorant. He has no time for the European Union or NATO. His recent comments at this week’s Davos gathering removes any doubt that he supports the Atlantic Alliance. The week long drama/crisis over Greenland puts this in sharp focus.

European leaders have always believed that the Americans supported the Western Alliance. However, if you are prepared to threaten your allies with trade tariffs just because they support Denmark’s right to Greenland, then something is wrong. This is the mark of bully who likes to get what he wants. He claims that Greenland is vital for America’s national security. If that is the case, all he had to do was negotiate with Danes about new bases and and increased American presence.

There are lots of minerals in Greenland like graphite, copper and zinc. So this is not just about security. There is money to be made. Lots of it.

Trump may have backed down from using military force, but there was genuine fear that he would until he denied it publicly. Is this the behaviour of an ally? Who needs enemies?

The European states, in particular Britain, France and Germany need to start thinking about there security minus the Americans. Even if a new President is elected in 2028, the trust has been broken. America has become the unreliable ally.