In peacetime, we could have laughed it off as a showdown between two outrageous presidents, but in times of crisis, this kind of political show only makes us break out in a cold sweat and leaves us with anxiety.

The recent meeting between President Trump and President Zelensky will go down in history as a rare and outrageous meeting. President Trump is known as an eccentric politician, and in fact he makes a selling point of it, but President Zelensky is no less eccentric. As can be inferred from his background as a former comedian, he is an attention-seeking, reckless type and cannot be said to be a competent politician. A competent politician would never head into a war that would clearly result in the sacrifice of many citizens. Even if they continue to confront and fight Russia, they will not take measures that would escalate into a war. In that sense, it is not surprising that President Trump is frustrated. However, the sudden suspension of military and intelligence support, which ostentatiously displays the superiority of the United States, seems like bullying the weak and leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

What can be seen from this series of turmoil is the importance of independence. Actions that cannot be carried out without depending on others’ support are always at risk of failure. Particularly in an irresistible situation such as war, where many casualties are incurred, if one becomes addicted, it becomes extremely difficult to achieve one’s original goal.
Personally, I hope the war will end quickly. I agree with President Trump on that point. However, Ukraine will be forced to end the war in a way that will leave a legacy of trouble for the future. In other words, they will have to accept a temporary peace plan that is different from the permanent peace they desire.
So, what should Japan do? In the sense of being dependent on the United States, Japan is quite dependent on it. To continue to cooperate and cooperate with the United States, it may be effective to have a stronger sense of self-reliance and independence and reduce dependence on the United States. (Kitajima Kei)

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI