Trump and Foreign Policy Without a Compass
Trump and Foreign Policy Without a Compass
In a world where diplomacy is based on predictability and stability, Donald Trump is an exception that challenges this rule. Any leader or official who must inevitably interact with him enters a political arena where the rules change at any moment.
The Tough Test of Dealing with Trump
In the realm of global politics, there are few leaders or officials who, sooner or later, are not forced to interact with the President of the United States. This rule took on a special hue during Donald Trump’s term. Interacting with a man whose political speech and behavior were less predictable than any other politician became a challenging experience for many world leaders.
The United States, as the dominant power in the international system, has a decisive presence in most global crises and equations. Therefore, even the staunchest opponents of Washington’s policies have no choice but to engage with it.
Some political observers metaphorically say that America shares borders with most countries in the world, not geographical but political and economic borders.
From the very first days in the White House, Trump showed that stability of position has no place in his political dictionary.
Positions that sometimes changed within a few hours left both America’s allies confused and international relations analysts facing a fundamental question: How can one predict the foreign policy of a country whose president changes his mind from one speech to the next interview?
Many research institutions and decision-making bodies tried to analyze Trump’s behavioral pattern during his presidency, a task that often proved fruitless. The only noticeable stability in Trump’s foreign policy was his clear and unconditional support for Israel and its actions regarding Palestine.
Even if the most advanced prediction systems and artificial intelligence were used to analyze Trump’s behavior, his sudden changes on global issues would render these systems ineffective.
His behavior towards Russia and Ukraine is one of the most prominent examples. Trump at different times transformed from a staunch supporter of Vladimir Putin and a critic of Ukraine to a harsh critic of Russia and a supporter of Kyiv, a shift that even surprised his allies.
The same pattern was repeated with China. At times, he criticized Beijing for its trade policies and imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese goods, while at other times he referred to China’s President Xi Jinping as a respected and powerful leader.
His relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also fluctuated between threats and praise, from threats of fire and fury to a historic meeting and laudatory remarks about Pyongyang’s economic future.
This instability was also evident in his relations with the leaders of Turkey, France, NATO, and even the European Union. One day Trump would call NATO an obsolete organization, and the next day he would speak of its vital role in global security.
He urged European countries to reduce their energy dependency on Russia, while simultaneously pressuring them to buy oil and gas from the United States.
Ultimately, dealing with Donald Trump has been and remains a tough test for any politician—from long-standing allies to fierce rivals.
In a world where stability and predictability are vital conditions for diplomatic relations, navigating a leadership that can change course at any moment requires, above all, patience, skill, and perhaps a bit of luck.
