Trump's foreign policy: frustrations are mounting

Trump's foreign policy: frustrations are mounting

Every president believes he can change the world - and Donald Trump has an even greater sense of personal omnipotence than his predecessors. But things are anything but good for the 47th president. While Trump can intimidate tech giants and try to use state power to influence institutions like Harvard University and judges, some world leaders are harder to blackmail.

Trump and the bitterness of world leaders

Trump is repeatedly ignored and humiliated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who opposes U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Russian media now paints the picture of Trump as the “strong speaker” who always gives in and never draws conclusions.

The Misunderstandings in Trade Warfare

Trump was convinced he could bring China under control through a trade war by taking on leader Xi Jinping. But he misjudged the political situation in China. One of the most important rules for an authoritarian in Beijing is never to give in to a US president. US officials are now frustrated that China has not fulfilled its obligations to de-escalate the trade conflict.

Trump's failed relations in the Middle East

As with China, Trump had to back down in his tariff war with the European Union. Financial Times commentator Robert Armstrong angered the president by using the term TACO trading coined – “Trump Always Chickens Out”. Many expected Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu to be on the same wavelength. After all, he offered the Israeli prime minister almost anything he wanted in his first term. But now, as Trump tries to broker peace in the Middle East, he realizes that The extension of the conflict in Gaza is vital for Netanyahu's political career, similar to the situation in Ukraine for Putin.

The illusion of influence

Influential leaders pursue their own visions of national interests that exist in a parallel reality and at different temporal scales, in contrast to the shorter, more transactional aspirations of American presidents. Many are not susceptible to personal appeals without anything in return. After Trump's attempts to humiliate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, the White House's appeal appears to be waning.

For months, Trump boasted on the campaign trail that his “very good relationship” with Putin or Xi would magically solve the deep-rooted geopolitical and economic problems between the global powers. However, he is not the first US president to suffer from such illusions. President George W. Bush famously looked into the eyes of the Kremlin tyrant and “understood his nature.” President Barack Obama viewed Russia as a crumbling regional power and once called Putin a “bored boy in the back of the classroom.” However, this attitude went wrong when the bored boy annexed Crimea.

The Challenges of Presidents in the 21st Century

More broadly, 21st century presidents have all acted as if they were men of destiny. Bush came into office determined not to act as a global policeman. But the attacks of September 11, 2001 made him exactly that. He started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - the US won, but lost the peace. His failed goal in the second term of democratizing the Arab world remained unfulfilled.

Seeking to make amends for the global wars on terror, Obama traveled to Egypt to tell Muslims it was time for "a new beginning." His early presidency pulsated with a sense that his charisma and unique background were in themselves a global elixir.

Joe Biden traveled around the world proclaiming “America is back” after forcing Trump from the White House. But four years later, due in part to his disastrous decision to run for a second term, America—or at least the postwar internationalist version—was gone again. And Trump was back.

Trump's populist “America First” program is based on the assumption that the US has been ripped off for decades, despite the fact that its alliances and shaping of global capitalism have made it the most powerful nation in the history of the planet. While he portrays himself as a strong leader who everyone must obey, he zealously acts against this legacy and breaks down America's soft power - the ability to persuade - with his aggressive rhetoric.

The first four months of Trump's presidency, marked by tariff threats, warnings of US territorial expansion in Canada and Greenland and the dismantling of global humanitarian aid programs, show that the rest of the world also has a say in what happens. So far, leaders in China, Russia, Israel, Europe and Canada appear to have come to the realization that Trump is not as powerful as he believes, that there is no price for defying him, or that their own domestic politics make resistance compelling.