In the new dog-eat-dog world order, appeasement doesn’t work. Time for the EU to grow up

• Fabian Zuleeg is chief executive of the European Policy Centre

Donald Trump’s intervention in Venezuela is not a one-off shock. It epitomises his approach of interventionist isolationism based on a revisionist, neo-nationalist agenda in which power is exercised bluntly, international rules are optional and alliances are transactional. In such a dog-eat-dog world, hesitation and ambiguity do not stabilise the system; they become vulnerabilities to be exploited by a volatile and predatory Washington.

The seizure of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro , combined with Trump’s renewed musings about acquiring Greenland , potentially by using the US military, should dispel any lingering illusion that this is merely erratic behaviour. It reflects a worldview in which sovereignty is conditional, spheres of influence are legitimate, and coercion is normalised when it delivers results in the interest of Trump and his administration. The real question now is not whether Europeans disapprove, but how pro-European liberal democratic forces respond. Three imperatives stand out.

Fabian Zuleeg is chief executive and chief economist at the European Policy Centre

In the new dog-eat-dog world order, appeasement doesn’t work. Time for the EU to grow up

• Fabian Zuleeg is chief executive of the European Policy Centre

Donald Trump’s intervention in Venezuela is not a one-off shock. It epitomises his approach of interventionist isolationism based on a revisionist, neo-nationalist agenda in which power is exercised bluntly, international rules are optional and alliances are transactional. In such a dog-eat-dog world, hesitation and ambiguity do not stabilise the system; they become vulnerabilities to be exploited by a volatile and predatory Washington.

The seizure of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro , combined with Trump’s renewed musings about acquiring Greenland , potentially by using the US military, should dispel any lingering illusion that this is merely erratic behaviour. It reflects a worldview in which sovereignty is conditional, spheres of influence are legitimate, and coercion is normalised when it delivers results in the interest of Trump and his administration. The real question now is not whether Europeans disapprove, but how pro-European liberal democratic forces respond. Three imperatives stand out.

Fabian Zuleeg is chief executive and chief economist at the European Policy Centre

In the new dog-eat-dog world order, appeasement doesn’t work. Time for the EU to grow up

• Fabian Zuleeg is chief executive of the European Policy Centre

Donald Trump’s intervention in Venezuela is not a one-off shock. It epitomises his approach of interventionist isolationism based on a revisionist, neo-nationalist agenda in which power is exercised bluntly, international rules are optional and alliances are transactional. In such a dog-eat-dog world, hesitation and ambiguity do not stabilise the system; they become vulnerabilities to be exploited by a volatile and predatory Washington.

The seizure of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro , combined with Trump’s renewed musings about acquiring Greenland , potentially by using the US military, should dispel any lingering illusion that this is merely erratic behaviour. It reflects a worldview in which sovereignty is conditional, spheres of influence are legitimate, and coercion is normalised when it delivers results in the interest of Trump and his administration. The real question now is not whether Europeans disapprove, but how pro-European liberal democratic forces respond. Three imperatives stand out.

Fabian Zuleeg is chief executive and chief economist at the European Policy Centre

• Houston Texans 30-6 Pittsburgh Steelers

• Rodgers has hinted this season will be his last

• Texans will face Patriots in divisional round

Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble by Aaron Rodgers 33 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to highlight a dominant performance by the NFL’s top-ranked defense, and the Houston Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday night for the first road playoff win in franchise history.

The Texans’ win means they will play the New England Patriots in the divisional round on Sunday night.

• Houston Texans 30-6 Pittsburgh Steelers

• Rodgers has hinted this season will be his last

• Texans will face Patriots in divisional round

Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble by Aaron Rodgers 33 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to highlight a dominant performance by the NFL’s top-ranked defense, and the Houston Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday night for the first road playoff win in franchise history.

The Texans’ win means they will play the New England Patriots in the divisional round on Sunday night.

• Houston Texans 30-6 Pittsburgh Steelers

• Rodgers has hinted this season will be his last

• Texans will face Patriots in divisional round

Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble by Aaron Rodgers 33 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to highlight a dominant performance by the NFL’s top-ranked defense, and the Houston Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday night for the first road playoff win in franchise history.

The Texans’ win means they will play the New England Patriots in the divisional round on Sunday night.

After a four-year wait, the abundant fruiting of the rimu tree could inspire the world’s heaviest parrots to boost their population

It has been four long years, but the world’s heaviest parrots, the kākāpō , are finally about to get it on again. The mass fruiting of a native New Zealand tree has triggered breeding season – a rare event conservationists hope will lead to a record number of chicks for the critically endangered bird.

Kākāpō, the world’s only nocturnal and flightless parrot, were once abundant across New Zealand. But their population plummeted after the introduction of predators such as cats and stoats, and by the 1900s they were nearly extinct.

After a four-year wait, the abundant fruiting of the rimu tree could inspire the world’s heaviest parrots to boost their population

It has been four long years, but the world’s heaviest parrots, the kākāpō , are finally about to get it on again. The mass fruiting of a native New Zealand tree has triggered breeding season – a rare event conservationists hope will lead to a record number of chicks for the critically endangered bird.

Kākāpō, the world’s only nocturnal and flightless parrot, were once abundant across New Zealand. But their population plummeted after the introduction of predators such as cats and stoats, and by the 1900s they were nearly extinct.

After a four-year wait, the abundant fruiting of the rimu tree could inspire the world’s heaviest parrots to boost their population

It has been four long years, but the world’s heaviest parrots, the kākāpō , are finally about to get it on again. The mass fruiting of a native New Zealand tree has triggered breeding season – a rare event conservationists hope will lead to a record number of chicks for the critically endangered bird.

Kākāpō, the world’s only nocturnal and flightless parrot, were once abundant across New Zealand. But their population plummeted after the introduction of predators such as cats and stoats, and by the 1900s they were nearly extinct.