'Do Not Back Down': Fukuyama Warns Europe Trump Will Not Stop at Greenland
Source: MEDIAite
Jan 19th, 2026, 5:38 pm
Renowned political scientist Francis Fukuyama reacted to President Donald Trumps latest moves to acquire Greenland and urged Europe to not back down to Trump, arguing that he really needs to be stopped.
Over the weekend, Donald Trump announced that he would be imposing a 10 percent tariff on February 1 on eight European countries that had agreed to send forces to Greenland, and that tariffs would be increased to 25 percent by June 1 if they did not agree to support the sale of the island to the United States. Over the past couple of months, there has been a debate over whether Trump was serious about claiming Greenland for himself or just trolling the Europeans. It appears that he is indeed deadly serious, began Fukuyama, whose book The End of History and the Last Man is considered one of the foundational texts of modern international relations. He continued in a YouTube clip published Sunday:
I want to say this straight out: as an American, I have one thing to say to my many European friendsdo not back down in this confrontation. Up to now, both the EU and the major European powers have sought to appease Trump by offering him concessions, flattery, personal gifts, and other forms of tribute. This strategy has not worked and should be abandoned immediately. Donald Trump is fundamentally a bully who wants to dominate everyone around him.
Trying to placate him with concessions is a fools errand. He despises weakness and those who display it.
Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/do-not-back-down-fukuyama-warns-europe-trump-will-not-stop-at-greenland/
Don't back down, Europe: youtu.be/SS5Ep3LTqnE
— Francis Fukuyama (@frankfukuyama.bsky.social) 2026-01-19T01:40:05.029Z
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Europe: Don't Back Down
Donald Trump's threats to use tariffs to compel Europe to support US acquisition of Greenland must be strongly resisted. Appeasement of Trump demonstrably d...
8:39 PM · Jan 18, 2026
fujiyamasan
(1,283 posts)But he better watch out for ICE!
Baitball Blogger
(51,796 posts)As long as there is no push back from abroad, the Republicans will continue to support him..
mwooldri
(10,792 posts)Just do it.
Make it personal.
Callie1979
(1,178 posts)Seize his assets.
Bulldoze it
And build their OWN resort
lastlib
(27,637 posts)DO. NOT. BACK. DOWN! DO. NOT. APPEASE!! HE. WON'T. STOP.
RESIST. with all your strength and ability!
lonely bird
(2,795 posts)Sorry for the snark.
Yes, stand up to Trump. Post how much European countries have pulled in from tariffs on U.S. goods. Lie about it and inflate it just like Trump. He only responds to two things: as skidding and a punch in the face. If the punch is delivered correctly, perhaps even just threatened, he backs down.
He is a severely emotionally damaged person who is also cognitively declining. That makes him dangerous so responses must be well thought out.
groundloop
(13,578 posts)As long as the world is talking about his insane demands the media hasn't uttered a single solitary word about Epstein.
Coincidence? I think not.
BumRushDaShow
(166,285 posts)I would agree that Epstein updates should be more hyperbolic to rise above the noise of the lunatic 45 rants, because when it IS posted about, it gets a yawn... :
Miguelito Loveless
(5,462 posts)Stop buying any US weapon system, cancel all future procurements, sanction US businesses aided Child Rapist Trump's fascist regime. And just to show they mean business and wake up the fascist enablers on Wall Street, sell off 5% o their US debt holdings, with a promise to stop buying any future US debt until someone sane replaces the Rapist in Chief.