The present international order is characterized by a major disruption in the established global rules that previously regulated diplomacy and trade. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the established world order has, in effect, become defunct and has been replaced by a precarious "big power politics" in which European freedom is no longer guaranteed. This is largely due to the growing rift between Europe and the United States, which has been further fueled by the aggressive trade tariff policies of President Donald Trump and his highly contentious plan to annex Greenland from Denmark. Although American politicians such as Marco Rubio have termed this as a necessary transition into a new world order, European leaders are increasingly left feeling isolated. In this regard, leaders such as Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron are advocating for a more independent Europe, which has even led to secret talks about the development of a joint European nuclear deterrent in a bid to lessen their long-standing reliance on the U.S. military.