TRUMP'S POLARIZING INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY

 By Mildred Robertson

Since Donald Trump’s first term in office, he has undermined the alliances that have kept America safe since 911. He has belittled nations on both our northern and southern borders, threatening to make Canada our 51^st state, and vowing to reclaim the Panama Canal from the Panamanian government. He also has inquired whether he could make Greenland part of America in exchange for Puerto Rico.  And of course, there is the now infamous claim that the Gulf of Mexico is the Gulf of America.

These absurdities are nothing new on Trump’s part. He was a polarizing force in international diplomacy dating back to his first term starting in 2017.  According to the Pew Research Center, a sizable majority of respondents across 34 countries felt that Trump could not be trusted to do the right thing. A median of 69% of respondents found the then-president to be unreliable.

Not much has changed as he embarks upon his second term, wreaking havoc on the federal government, the military, domestic and international social programs, and international diplomacy. He has sidelined Congress, subverted government agencies, and intimidated Republicans into silence. The only remaining leg of the three-legged stool that represents our democracy also flounders in futility as Trump ignores Court rulings. This president has used his first 100 days in office to set the stage for a transactional America that only cares for its own bottom line. He shows disdain for the rule of law, and those meant to enforce it.

While American leadership appears to be cowering in Trump’s shadow some world leaders have had enough and are finally finding their voices. British Prime Minster Keir Starmer corrected the president during a joint press conference when he stated that America has “given” aid to Ukraine while European countries have only loaned to the embattled nation.  He further implied that America might not come to Britain’s aid if Russia were to attack and asked whether Britain could defend itself.

While taken aback by the question, during a Q&A with the media Starmer corrected Trump’s claim that European countries supporting Ukraine would “get their money back”. In a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron Trump falsified the dollar amounts contributed by European countries to the war effort, stating that the United States had spent $350 billion in aid to Ukraine while Europe had only spent $100 billion.

On February 28, in a face-to-face meeting in the Oval Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fell under attack when he balked at a bilateral mineral deal with America to maintain U.S. military support for his war effort. President Trump and his sidekick JD Vance tore into Zelensky, painting him as ungrateful for requesting security guarantees in return for the mineral rights the U.S. demanded in return for the possibility of continued support in the war effort. Trump suggested that he was capable of ending the war. 

Zelensky held his ground noting that Ukraine was at war with Russia and that it would be Russia and the Ukrainian people who would be at the negotiating table, with the U.S. and Europe as partners. Both Trump and Vance lectured the Ukrainian leader, calling him disrespectful for speaking up for himself and his country. During this exchange Trump bullied and mocked Zelensky, cursing and shouting at him. Ultimately, in a Truth Social post, it was noted that the deal was off. Zelensky left the White House and canceled a speech at the Hudson Institute. He appears to have had enough.

And he is not alone. All these leaders appear to have concluded that Trump is beyond reason and diplomacy is futile.  Therefore, they must prepare to face a world crisis without the United States, perhaps even AGAINST the United States. That is a scary proposition because that means that America will be left standing alone.