WASHINGTON — Former real estate mogul turned U.S. President Donald Trump has been showcasing his distinct brand of diplomacy early in his renewed term. Much like his approach to business deals, Trump is intent on ensuring America’s dominance in the complex realm of international relations.
His strategies are evident in various aspects, including brewing trade tensions with Canada and Mexico, responses to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, and his choice of the first country to visit in this term. As explained by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s approach is mainly transactional, prioritizing economic interests over traditional diplomatic values.
For Trump, diplomacy revolves around leveraging opportunities for economic gains, favoring hard negotiations over collaborative alliances. Such strategies challenge long-standing global dynamics post-World War II and cast doubt on the U.S. role as a global leader.
By pursuing a foreign policy that is economically motivated and largely inward-looking, Trump distances himself from softer diplomatic tools like those offered by the U.S. Agency for International Development, while questioning commitments to NATO allies failing to meet defense spending goals.
Politics inherently involves negotiations, but Trump takes it further by building his strategy around win-loss dynamics akin to high-stakes real estate ventures. His historical perspective on deals as having clear victors influences his present international dealings.
Historian Edward Frantz reflects that Trump’s ledger-based diplomacy may not be ideal, likening diplomacy to soccer, where sometimes drawing or merely persevering can be a strategic necessity. However, Trump’s philosophy appears more influenced by a win-at-all-costs mindset, reminiscent of Vince Lombardi’s famous sports ethos.
Trump recently revealed plans to visit Saudi Arabia, citing substantial investment promises from the kingdom as a driving factor, reiterating a trend from his first term when the Saudis pledged on significant U.S. investments.
Although traditionally, UK has been the initial stop for new U.S. presidents, Trump’s focus remains on the financial benefits such journeys might yield.
In dealings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump prioritizes leverage. Despite hinting at potential engagements with Ukraine, he criticizes its lack of bargaining power while favoring negotiations with Russia, which he perceives as holding more power cards.
Trump’s approach marks a significant shift from historic U.S. caution towards Russia, moving away from the skepticism that both Republican and Democratic presidents upheld. His administration has notably shifted towards more cooperative stances with Russia, undermining traditional military and intelligence support mechanisms for Ukraine.
Kellogg recounted Trump’s early transactional diplomacy, particularly with foreign officials, always probing trade balances between nations. Trump’s perspective is that America has been taken advantage of by both allies and adversaries, including Mexico and Canada.
Recently, Trump announced tariffs targeting imports from Canada and Mexico, purportedly to curb fentanyl smuggling but possibly linked to trade deficit disputes. While these tariffs stirred economic unease, they were mostly deferred.
Amidst these developments, Trump criticized Canada’s policies impacting American sectors like dairy and lumber, pledging to address trade imbalances through reciprocal tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, unfazed, contends against Trump’s assertive trade tactics.
Such episodes illustrate Trump’s readiness to resort to assertive measures for resolving international discrepancies, even at the risk of straining longstanding alliances. Trudeau, taken aback by Trump’s strategy, even quoted a traditionally conservative editorial to critique the needlessness of this conflict, demonstrating the unusual nature of the situation.
