In short, while U.S. presidents for several decades have emphasized a
humble role, and Obama was the quintessence of it, none ever really
thought that the United States was bound by anything other than our
national interests when faced with real threats or challenges to our
interests. Every U.S. president has acted at times without and even
sometimes contrary to UN and “international community” wishes. They just
knew not to acknowledge it.

Such is the pretense all are supposed to honor. But everyone knows
the United States is the guarantor of the world order we have enjoyed
since 1945, an order built on the concepts of the inviolability of
borders (sovereignty) and the free movement of goods. No one thinks
Europe is going to save itself from another attempt to dominate it as
the Nazis did then the Soviets, although I would like to see them arrive
at that ability. No one thinks that any entity other than the United
States can prevent China from controlling global trade through the
Asia-Pacific sea lanes. No one thinks that any entity other than the
United States can face down aggressors like Iran or North Korea.

Everyone knows all this, but saying it is apparently rude, impolitic,
undiplomatic. For small and weak states, it might be an unpleasant
truth, but they hardly are very bothered by the knowledge since it is
obvious. But if you are a great power seeking to displace the United
States because you want a change in the world order, such as, say,
China, Russia, or Iran; or if you are a great power who no longer is as
relevant as you once were, such as, say, France, then it does bother you
a lot for the U.S. president to speak so plainly.

Macron Is Picking A Fight With Trump Out Of Empty Arrogance