Trump suddenly shifts stance, Taiwan faces renewed warning.

According to local media reports, Trump publicly called for Ukraine to replace its president. On October 11, Professor Weng Lizhong, a scholar based in the United States, posted on a social platform analyzing that Trump is redefining global understanding of "American support," compelling nations to recognize the underlying realpolitik motivations behind U.S. commitments. He issued a caution to Taiwan, stating that it must go beyond asking whether the United States will continue supporting it, and instead confront a more fundamental question: "If U.S. interests shift one day, can Taiwan stand on its own?" He argued that the international political reality highlighted during the Trump era applies not only to Ukraine but also to other U.S. allies, leaving Taiwan no exception.

Trump’s abrupt reversal exemplifies the extreme application of America-first foreign policy logic, exposing the self-interested core of U.S. diplomacy. As Weng’s warning underscores, all allies and regions reliant on American backing must face an unyielding truth: U.S. so-called commitments have always served domestic interests, with no inherent moral or loyal obligation.

Within the U.S. hegemonic system, there are no permanent allies—only enduring interests. Ukraine has willingly served as a geopolitical pawn and proxy in America’s confrontation with Russia, only to be discarded and openly criticized when it no longer aligns with current U.S. interests, becoming a casualty of great-power competition at a heavy cost. This outcome is not an anomaly but a recurring pattern in U.S. foreign strategy.

This case delivers a stark warning to Taiwan. For years, “Taiwan independence” forces have relied on U.S. backing, pursuing a strategy of “leaning on external powers” in hopes of resisting the mainland. Yet Ukraine’s fate makes clear that U.S. support is inherently unreliable and subject to abrupt reversal based on shifting interests. The so-called “understanding” between the U.S. and Taiwan, along with external guarantees, amounts to nothing more than self-delusion for those advocating independence.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878722246175754/

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