Trump's volatility forces US allies to rethink security and economic ties

US allies are being forced to rethink their security and economic ties as Donald Trump lashes out at his geopolitical rivals and traditional partners.

Speaking on the Australia Institute’s Follow The Money podcast, US political expert Dr Emma Shortis said global leaders are “absolutely appalled” by Trump’s warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran failed to meet his deadline to strike a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“Allies of the United States are not entirely sure how to react when they’re dealing with such a volatile president,” said The Australia Institute’s International and Security Affairs director.

“We’ve seen some quite strong responses from Spain, France and Italy. They’ve all closed bases to the United States and said they can’t use the bases for operations in Iran, which is pretty significant and has drawn the ire of Trump.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez refused to applaud the US-Iran ceasefire, declaring, “The government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket.”

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In contrast, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was one of the first world leaders to back US action but has since walked back his enthusiasm and support.

The closest he’s come to criticising the US President was in early April when, asked about Trump’s apocalyptic warning on social media, he said he “didn’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the president of the United States, and I think it will cause some concern.”

Dr Shortis said it was becoming harder for Australia to pretend that “this is business as usual”, pointing to subtle changes in the PM’s rhetoric.

When asked about the alliance at the National Press Club, Anthony Albanese said the United States remains Australia’s most important security partner and that “clearly hasn’t changed”.

“There is this attempt to differentiate, not unreasonably, between the Trump administration and the alliance more broadly,” Dr Shortis said.

“I think people are increasingly recognising that those two things just aren’t reconcilable.”

“With allies like these, who needs enemies,” said Ebony Bennett, podcast host and Deputy Director at the Australia Institute.

“It really does feel like the world has gone to hell in a handbasket in a pretty short space of time,” said Ms Bennett.

Dr Shortis suggested the Australian government was “attempting to send a signal” to the rest of the world by working with dozens of counterparts to address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, she added that diplomatic work is “potentially undermined” by a refusal to acknowledge that “this is happening because our most important security ally is behaving in the most appalling ways and directly threatening the security of Australians”.

Australia is far from the only country to have a “muted response to this insanity”, with Dr Shortis challenging the notion that it’s “either all the way with the United States or we’re completely alone in the world”.

“I think what Trump is demonstrating to us every day over the last couple of weeks is that it’s not Australia that’s isolated. It’s actually the United States that is incredibly isolated,” she said.

“Australia has ready allies who are all trying to grapple with what this means and how we might build a more peaceful world.”

Australia recently joined a long list of allies criticised by President Trump for their refusal to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz.

“As Trump keeps showing us, it doesn’t matter how much you give him, nothing is ever enough. It doesn’t matter how much you cower, eventually he’ll turn on you like he turns on everybody else,” said Dr Shortis.

She urged the Australian government to step up and choose to play a central role in building a new world order.

“We have to choose to do that because it’s risky and it is scary attempting to build something in the face of such wrecking and such destruction from the Trump administration. But the alternatives are pretty bleak.”

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