Claims

The Strait of Hormuz crisis represents a larger NATO crisis and signal of eroded trust between the US and Europe, with Europeans now discussing a 'NATO without the United States' and energy security becoming a source of transactional relationships rather than alliance-based cooperation, fundamentally undermining the international frameworks designed to coordinate global energy security.

Trump is not just trolling about acquiring Greenland, Canada as the 51st state, Panama, or Gaza; he is serious about using the power of the United States to extract concessions and he has explicitly stated he believes other nations cannot refuse him (when asked about Palestinians refusing US takeover of Gaza, he said 'they won't say no to me')

Lula had a brain health issue and couldn't attend the BRICS Kazan summit, which appeared convenient for preventing Venezuela's direct ascension into BRICS—Doomberg called this in a piece 'Neighborhood Watch' and later published 'Lula Hoops' as victory lap when Venezuela's bid failed and Lula vetoed it

There is no consensus within the West that it is in a cold war with the People's Republic of China; most Western politicians bristle at the cold war framing, a situation that differs from the clear consensus during the Soviet-Cold War era, and this lack of consensus creates a strategic asymmetry favoring Beijing because the CCP has decided it is in a cold war with the Free World.

China does not attempt to cultivate alliances in the way the United States does; historically, China pursued hierarchical relationships emphasizing recognition of Chinese superiority rather than partnerships of equals, and this represents a potential weakness in Beijing's geopolitical strategy.

India and Pakistan are in a state of heightened tension that recently surfaced; Iran has been given an ultimatum by the Trump administration requiring a decision sometime in June; China's strategy toward Taiwan appears to be blockade/strangulation rather than invasion, using embargo or inspection of ships to slowly strangle the island and avoid direct military confrontation.

Putin signed a mutual defense pact with North Korea in June 2024, which Japan views as another sign of aggression alongside Russia's militarization of the Northern Territories and its alliance with China. North Korea represents another major threat to Japan in the Indo-Pacific and a threat to Japan's South Korean allies.