With this single “conversation” they undermined every security deal they had anywhere in the world.

I disagree. If it was a single conversation the world would be shocked but they could still cover it up. Politicians say dumb shit and walk it back all the time.

It’s the fact that his first term was already such a blundering mess in terms of diplomacy, combined with the fact that he somehow got re-elected, the accelerating bullshit ever since and now finally this mess. If they hadn’t been chipping away at any international goodwill so thoroughly, the response would be closer to “I can’t believe a US president would say that” rather than “the US as a whole is no longer reliable”.

We’re about to see how the next elections turn out. Maybe all is not lost yet.

That would risk direct conflict between nuclear powers. I’m not sure that’s a gamble we should take.

I’m not sure we shouldn’t take it either. I don’t know, really. But it’s scary.