TRUMP'S EXPANSIONISM THREATENS POST-WORLD WAR II INTERNATIONAL ORDER

Trump's expansionism and global territorial ambitions challenge the post-WWII international order, raising concerns over territorial sovereignty and stability.

- TDG NETWORK

Since the conclusion of the Second World War, a global taboo against acquiring territory through force has been firmly established. This principle, enshrined in the 1945 United Nations Charter, has held steady for decades, preventing wars of territorial conquest and affirming the sanctity of national borders. However, this long-standing norm is now under threat from a new generation of political leaders, most notably former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose expansionist rhetoric and ideas have sparked concerns that the international rules-based order is unraveling.

Trump's statements on the acquisition of foreign territories such as Greenland, parts of Canada, the Panama Canal, and Gaza have raised alarms about the future of international law and the preservation of peace in a world that has long operated under the assumption that territorial conquest is not acceptable. While Trump's comments may have been largely rhetorical, they signal a dangerous shift in global political discourse, creating a permissive environment for expansionist policies that could lead to a reconfiguration of national borders, reminiscent of the "Risk" board game in the modern world.

THE POST-WWII ORDER AND THE REJECTION OF TERRITORIAL CONQUEST