The Monocle Daily Why the world increasingly considers the US a threat. Plus: Politics versus sport at the Olympics
31 snips
Feb 12, 2026 Yanis X. Haros, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services, explains the scale of producing global Olympic coverage. Tira Schubert, Royal Astronomical Society fellow and Science Museum ambassador, discusses Baltic security, hybrid threats and supply-chain leverage. Jonathan Fenby, journalist and former South China Morning Post editor, analyses Europe’s unity, shifting trust in the US and diplomacy with Iran.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Europe Confronts A Triple Geopolitical Squeeze
- European leaders face a triple pressure from an antagonistic US, assertive China and hybrid threats from Russia that is forcing policy reassessment.
- Polling for the Munich Security Conference shows a sharp rise in Europeans viewing the US as a security threat, eroding confidence in Washington.
Slipping Trust In Washington Reshapes Europe
- Trust in Washington has fallen significantly during Trump's first year back in office, changing strategic calculations in Europe.
- This erosion pushes EU states to consider greater strategic autonomy even as national interests still diverge.
Beijing Benefits From European Disunity
- China benefits from European disunity by cherry-picking bilateral deals and exploiting market opportunities like EVs and solar.
- Europe's national pushes in Beijing weaken a unified EU stance and open economic and geopolitical leverage for China.