Konstantin Kisin, the British political commentator and co-host of the Triggernometry podcast, said the sweeping shifts now reshaping Western foreign policy, mainly its conflict with President Trump, are largely self-inflicted. He argued that Europe has chosen to weaken itself through unchecked welfare consumption, “loony” economic policies, and a growing unwillingness to stand firm against the West’s foreign adversaries.
"Europe is 12 percent of the world's population, 25 percent of the world's GDP, and 60 percent of the world's welfare spending," Kisin began on Steven Bartlett's "Diary of a CEO" podcast. "So if you do that, that is a sign that you've got very comfortable. You've got very lazy; you have lost the ability to realize you live in a dangerous world."
You know this is a bit of a sidetrack, but it is an important adendum to this conversation. This is why European countries have pursued economic suicide, that we call "net-zero," as vigorously as we have. Because we have felt so safe and so comfortable, we've engaged in all these luxury obsessions. To the point where, as you know, Germany destroyed its nuclear facilities, thereby making itself reliant on Russian gas. So when Russia invaded Ukraine, the Germans, the first thing that they said was 'oh, we are going to support Ukraine, we will give them 5,000 helmets.' Because they were so dependent on Russian gas, because they refuse to produce their own energy.
This is exactly the same thing we've done in Britain. Britain has the highest industrial electricity prices in the world. In the developed world, which means we basically destroyed all our manufacturing industry, which is now produced elsewhere. We're getting to the point where we can't make our own virgin steel. Steel is kind of important if you want to have a military. Etc, etc, etc.
"So in Europe in particular, this has happened because we've just felt so safe and so comfortable and also so rudderless, that we've been able to engage in all these loony ideas because there has been no consequence. Well, the consequences are here," he added.
In Europe, we’ve felt so safe and comfortable that we’ve been able to indulge in all sorts of loony ideas without consequences. Well, the consequences are here now. pic.twitter.com/aznuhEfPUa
— Konstantin Kisin (@KonstantinKisin) January 23, 2026
Bartlett then pivoted to President Trump, voicing concern over what he described as a pattern of muscular foreign policy, like the “kidnapping” of Venezuela’s dictator, seizing the country’s oil, and even flirting with the idea of taking Greenland, despite it belonging to a NATO ally. The underlying question, Bartlett suggested, was why the president felt compelled to exert such sweeping force on the world stage. Kisin’s answer was blunt: Europe’s long-running weakness created the vacuum.
"This is what happens when there is a shifting of the balance of power," Kisin argued. "This is why I always said maintaining the unipolar moment as it was, and not allowing the West to weaken itself, was a really important thing. Because the moment you have a power vacuum, you always have a power struggle."
All Trump really is doing is reflecting the reality that has been already there for years, except he is reflecting it in American foreign policy. He's saying, 'Well, look, if Russia is going to do what it wants to do and we can't stop them, and if China is going to do what they want to do and we can't stop them, well, we've got to do what we've got to do, and no one is going to stop us.' And that's the world you've ended up in.
The West and Europe in particular has spent decades undermining its own strength, confidence and unity. Complaining about Trump won't fix that problem, recovering our sense of purpose, cohesion and strength will. pic.twitter.com/5tFv4w12s2
— Konstantin Kisin (@KonstantinKisin) January 25, 2026
In other words, Europe has proven itself an increasingly useless ally on its current trajectory. Its globalist institutions, including the United Nations, are capable of little more than issuing strongly worded statements while America’s adversaries outmaneuver the West and exploit every opportunity to undermine its position in global affairs.
The United States, and in recent history, President Trump, has often been the only force willing to confront those adversaries directly. With no reliable partners willing to share the burden, what real choice does Trump have other than to maneuver the United States into a stronger position in this inevitable power struggle? What will Europe do to resist? Likely nothing, perhaps another strongly worded statement, as it has done before.
President Trump is acting to ensure the survival of the only part of the West still capable of opposing its enemies. It is long past time for Europe to do the same.
