Trump's first picks for national positions “include people who are openly pro-Russian and actively hate the EU,” Anne Applebaum said.
She made an exception, citing Mark Rubio, who will be the new administration's secretary of state, the top American diplomat. “Rubio will be fine. He's a Cuban-American who understands the dangers of dictatorship,” Applebaum said.
President Trump's 'disturbing' nomination
But she is concerned about nominations such as Matt Gaetz, the new attorney general, and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence. As Applebaum put it, these are people who “sympathize with Putin” and “spread Putin's propaganda.”
See also: Will President Vladimir Putin talk to President Donald Trump? Kremlin: pure fiction
“In Europe, these nominations are still not understood,” the columnist said.
Applebaum: Europeans need to establish leadership
The author of Dictatorship Concerns emphasized that Russia belongs to a global “network of authoritarian states” that includes: China, Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Cuba. “Their aim is to create uncertainty in the democratic world,” she added.
See also: Trump's controversial choices. Vaccine denier is health secretary
“Trump doesn't think of himself as the leader of the world's democracies,” Applebaum said. “If Europeans want to live in a world of law and the rule of law, they need to build such leadership themselves,” she added.
The columnist also criticized the capabilities of the X Platform, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, who supports President Trump. “This is a social network that is no longer compatible with liberal democracy, and we need to seriously think about its role as a source of social disorder,” she warned.
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