Heather Cox Richardson contemplated what Trump is up to this way:

When viewed next to the statements of Russian pundits that a few powerful leaders should divide the world according to spheres of influence, there is perhaps logic to Trump's demands. Trump is not threatening our rivals, but rather is threatening our own allies in the area around the U.S. And now Musk is supporting an anti-NATO, pro-Russia party in Germany. It could be that what we are seeing is an attempt to throw away NATO and America's influence across the globe in order to carve up the world into spheres, with Trump offering to abandon Europe to Russia while the U.S., run by the DOGE faction of the Republican Party, officially takes control of a U.S.-centric sphere.