Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine on the European Union's eastern flank, the United States' disregard and contempt for the international order under President Donald Trump, and the allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza have shocked many Europeans.
The world order that took shape after World War II appears to have come to an end. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated at the Munich Security Conference in February 2026: "This order, as imperfect as it was even in its best days, no longer exists in that form."
However, in Asia, political observers are often surprised at the consternation of European leaders. During the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual Asian security conference held in Singapore, former Singaporean diplomat Bilahari Kausikan told DW that "Europe thought the jungle had been tamed for good. And then it got a shock."
"Competition and conflict are fundamental characteristics of international relations. These enduring, harsh truths were obscured for a brief period — perhaps about 20 years from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the outbreak of the global financial crisis. This was an extraordinary phase in world history," he added.
The US as we knew it is not coming back
