Divided West is Putin's strategy — The Times.

Trump criticizes allies, threatening Europe from Russia

President Donald Trump issued a statement on imposing a 25 percent tariff on Canada. This serves as an example of how unexpected and unfounded his policies can be, including actions against allies. The reason for this is said to be fentanyl coming into the U.S. from Canada, but the volume is so small that it appears to be an expression of Trump's hostility towards Canada and its refusal to become the 51st state of the U.S.

Trade wars initiated in the White House are a serious policy. With the rising value of the dollar in global markets, this policy will make American exports less competitive for other countries, notes William Hague, the rector of Oxford University and a British political figure.

The tragedy for the U.S. that significantly undermines its relationships with its allies is that any country wishing to weaken Western democracies can take advantage of this situation. China will gladly use such moral superiority as other countries with developing economies suffer from Trump's trade policies. And Putin will try to cement his influence in Ukraine

Additionally, the author emphasizes that Moscow is refining its strategy of plunging into chaos or subjugating free societies by collaborating with an increasing number of countries.