Luke Harding's 'Betrayal' charts the collapse of the rules-based order — and who is to blame

Luke Harding's "Betrayal: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest" investigates the unraveling of the post-1945 rules-based order and the individuals responsible. One of the key turning points mentioned is North Korean soldiers potentially joining Europe's land war, illustrating a world shifting towards great power politics. The U.S., Russia, and China pursue their strategic interests, resulting in millions being held hostage by a system that should have ended with the last century.

Harding criticizes U.S. President Donald Trump for emboldening authoritarian leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping to act with unprecedented impunity. The book highlights Trump's 2025 Alaska summit, where he invited Putin for his first U.S. visit in nearly a decade, despite warning of severe consequences if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.

The summit, meant to pressure Russia for peace, ended without any hope of resolving the war, with Putin appearing grinning and smirking, seemingly interpreting Trump's actions as approval. Harding connects this high-level state intrigue to his reporting on Ukraine, introducing readers to Ukrainians living in frontline cities no longer fearing explosions and soldiers, emphasizing the human cost of Great Power politics.

The book also discusses Trump's repeated consideration of taking over Greenland by force, with Putin calling it an issue concerning two specific nations and not Russia. While the book covers a vast array of events, from the front line in Ukraine to covert Russian agents influencing UK politicians, it ultimately leaves readers questioning the type of world they want to inhabit and who they want to lead it.