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Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
News Analysis: Trump's ‘force of personality' hasn't delivered on key foreign policy goals
WASHINGTON — When President Trump returned to the White House in January, he promised to deliver big foreign policy wins in record time. He said he would halt Russia's war against Ukraine in 24 hours or less, end Israel's war in Gaza nearly as quickly and force Iran to end to its nuclear program. He said he'd persuade Canada to become the 51st state, take Greenland from Denmark and negotiate 90 trade deals in 90 days. 'The president believes that his force of personality … can bend people to do things,' his special envoy-for-everything, Steve Witkoff, explained in May in a Breitbart interview. Six months later, none of those ambitious goals have been reached. Ukraine and Gaza are still at war. Israel and the United States bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, but it's not clear whether they ended the country's atomic program once and for all. Canada and Denmark haven't surrendered any territory. And instead of trade deals, Trump is mostly slapping tariffs on other countries, to the distress of U.S. stock markets. It turned out that force of personality couldn't solve every problem. 'He overestimated his power and underestimated the ability of others to push back,' said Kori Schake, director of foreign policy at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. 'He often acts as if we're the only people with leverage, strength or the ability to take action. We're not.' The president has notched important achievements. He won a commitment from other members of NATO to increase their defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product. The attack on Iran appears to have set Tehran's nuclear project back for years, even if it didn't end it. And Trump — or more precisely, his aides — helped broker ceasefires between India and Pakistan and between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. But none of those measured up to the goals Trump initially set for himself — much less qualified for the Nobel Peace Prize he has publicly yearned for. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for this,' he grumbled when the Rwanda-Congo agreement was signed. The most striking example of unfulfilled expectations has come in Ukraine, the grinding conflict Trump claimed he could end even before his inauguration. For months, Trump sounded certain that his warm relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin would produce a deal that would stop the fighting, award Russia most of the territory its troops have seized and end U.S. economic sanctions on Moscow. 'I believe he wants peace,' Trump said of Putin in February. 'I trust him on this subject.' But to Trump's surprise, Putin wasn't satisfied with his proposal. The Russian leader continued bombing Ukrainian cities even after Trump publicly implored him to halt via social media ('Vladimir, STOP!'). Critics charged that Putin was playing Trump for a fool. The president bristled: 'Nobody's playing me.' But as early as April, he admitted to doubts about Putin's good faith. 'It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along,' he said. 'I speak to him a lot about getting this thing done, and I always hang up and say, 'Well, that was a nice phone call,' and then missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city,' Trump complained last week. 'After that happens three or four times, you say the talk doesn't mean anything.' The president also came under pressure from Republican hawks in Congress who warned privately that if Ukraine collapsed, Trump would be blamed the way his predecessor, President Biden, was blamed for the fall of Afghanistan in 2022. So last week, Trump changed course and announced that he will resume supplying U.S.-made missiles to Ukraine — but by selling them to European countries instead of giving them to Kyiv as Biden had. Trump also gave Putin 50 days to accept a ceasefire and threatened to impose 'secondary tariffs' on countries that buy oil from Russia if he does not comply. He said he still hopes Putin will come around. 'I'm not done with him, but I'm disappointed in him,' he said in a BBC interview. It still isn't clear how many missiles Ukraine will get and whether they will include long-range weapons that can strike targets deep inside Russia. A White House official said those details are still being worked out. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sounded unimpressed by the U.S. actions. 'I have no doubt that we will cope,' he said. Foreign policy experts warned that the secondary tariffs Trump proposed could prove impractical. Russia's two biggest oil customers are China and India; Trump is trying to negotiate major trade agreements with both. Meanwhile, Trump has dispatched Witkoff back to the Middle East to try to arrange a ceasefire in Gaza and reopen nuclear talks with Iran — the goals he began with six months ago. Despite his mercurial style, Trump's approach to all these foreign crises reflects basic premises that have remained constant for a decade, foreign policy experts said. 'There is a Trump Doctrine, and it has three basic principles,' Schake said. 'Alliances are a burden. Trade exports American jobs. Immigrants steal American jobs.' Robert Kagan, a former Republican aide now at the Brookings Institution, added one more guiding principle: 'He favors autocrats over democrats.' Trump has a soft spot for foreign strongmen like Putin and China's Xi Jinping, and has abandoned the long-standing U.S. policy of fostering democracy abroad, Kagan noted. The problem, Schake said, is that those principles 'impede Trump's ability to get things done around the world, and he doesn't seem to realize it. 'The international order we built after World War II made American power stronger and more effective,' she said. 'Trump and his administration seem bent on presiding over the destruction of that international order.' Moreover, Kagan argued, Trump's frenetic imposition of punitive tariffs on other countries comes with serious costs. 'Tariffs are a form of economic warfare,' he said. 'Trump is creating enemies for the United States all over the world. ... I don't think you can have a successful foreign policy if everyone in the world mistrusts you.' Not surprisingly, Trump and his aides don't agree. 'It cannot be overstated how successful the first six months of this administration have been,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week. 'With President Trump as commander in chief, the world is a much safer place.' That claim will take years to test.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump claims again he stopped 'big' fight of nuclear powers India and Pakistan
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel US President Donald Trump once again invoked his controversial claim of diffusing tensions between India and Pakistan on Monday, suggesting his intervention may have prevented a conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.'We did a job with India and Pakistan, and Serbia-Kosovo, Rwanda-Congo... this was all over the last three weeks. We stopped a lot of fights... I think a very big one, frankly—India and Pakistan—and we stopped that over trade,' Trump told reporters while hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a dinner at the White House..'We are dealing with India; we are dealing with Pakistan. We said we are not going to deal with you at all if you're going to fight, and they were... maybe at a nuclear stage. They are both nuclear powers," the Republican president remarks come despite India having repeatedly refuted any third-party mediation between New Delhi and PM Modi-led Centre continues to maintain that all issues with Pakistan, including trade and security, must be resolved bilaterally and without external involvement—a position it has reiterated on several occasions, particularly in response to Trump's prior suggestions of US timing of Trump's renewed claim is the same dinner, Netanyahu revealed that he had officially nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.'I have sent a letter to the Nobel Committee,' the Israeli Prime Minister announced, handing Trump a copy of the nomination letter in front of cameras. Netanyahu cited Trump's role in various peace efforts as justification for the marks the second major endorsement of a Nobel Prize for the two-time US President in recent June, Pakistan had also announced its intention to recommend the US President for the prestigious award, citing his supposed efforts to de-escalate tensions in South Asia and elsewhere.
Business Insider
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Rwandan president, Kagame, warns of more fighting if Congo tries to play any ‘tricks'
Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, has revealed that he is willing to hold up his country's end of the recent peace deal signed with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, he noted that his compliance is dependent on Congo's move. Rwanda's President Kagame expressed commitment to honoring the peace agreement with the DRC if the latter fulfills its obligations. The U.S. mediated the peace deal, aiming to address the prolonged conflict in eastern DRC and improve regional stability. The agreement includes clauses on respecting territorial integrity, prohibiting hostilities, and ensuring refugee returns. The president of Rwanda recently disclosed that he is not going to stand for any tricks from the Democratic Republic of Congo, regarding the recent peace deal between both countries, brokered by the United States. To resolve the protracted conflict in the eastern part of the DRC that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and strained regional relations, the United States, last week, mediated a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Washington. Together with representatives from the US and Qatar, the two nations' foreign ministers signed the agreement on Friday. A prior statement mentioned "provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities," as well as the facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced individuals, although the agreement's complete contents have not been made public. Commenting on the deal, as reported by Reuters, Kagame, in Kigali, assured reporters that Rwanda was dedicated to implementing the agreement, but that it would fall through if Congo failed to fulfill its commitments to neutralize the FDLR. "If the side that we are working with plays tricks and takes us back to the problem, then we deal with the problem like we have been dealing with it," Kagame said. He went on to applaud the U.S. and the efforts of its president, Donald Trump in bringing peace between both states, noting that if things fell apart, the U.S. is not to be blamed. America's involvement in the Rwanda-Congo conflict Several weeks ago, the United States announced a huge mining transaction in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of a larger attempt to secure a peace agreement between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda. This action underscored Washington's growing political and economic commitment in a region long marred by strife, notably in the eastern provinces, where vast mineral riches has historically fueled bloodshed and foreign meddling. The planned pact, which would grant US and allied corporations access to Congo's huge quantities of key minerals such as cobalt, coltan, lithium, and gold, is being framed not only as an economic transaction, but also as a calculated geopolitical instrument. Late last month President Donald Trump announced a landmark peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda, aimed at ending one of Africa's longest-running and most violent conflicts.
Business Insider
25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
U.S set to host Rwanda, D.R Congo peace talks, mineral investment deal
The United States is set to host crucial peace talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo this week, aimed at addressing the escalating violence in eastern Congo. The United States is hosting peace talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to address escalating violence in eastern Congo The talks aim to end a year-long conflict and attract U.S. investment in Congo's mineral wealth U.S. involvement in the crisis is viewed with suspicion due to complex economic, strategic, and geopolitical factors Government officials from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to travel to the U.S. in an effort to end the year-long conflict that has displaced millions and claimed thousands of lives. With the signing of an agreement, there are hopes that the latest cycle of violence—rooted in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide—may begin to ease, while also attracting significant U.S. investment in Congo's mineral wealth. Reuters reports that foreign ministers from both countries are expected to sign the agreement at a ceremony with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The deal aims to establish a favorable framework for Washington-led investors, who are looking to invest billions of dollars in Congo's mining sector. Rwanda is also engaged in the deal-making process, with the country having earlier this week, expressed interest in talks with Washington regarding a potential minerals agreement Suspicion Grows Over U.S. Role in Rwanda-Congo While the U.S. can play a key role in facilitating dialogue and fostering investment in the region, defusing a year-long crisis with deep historical and geopolitical roots will not be an easy task. It will require significant time, patience, and a concerted effort from all involved parties. Recent investigations have shown that a major cause of the crisis lies in the mineral wealth of the region, which has drawn both legitimate governments and rebel groups into conflict. DRC is rich in resources like copper, cobalt, and lithium, which are critical for the production of mobile phones and electric vehicles. Both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have expressed eagerness to stabilize the region, and securing U.S. investment in the region's conflict minerals, which have long fueled tensions, could contribute to regional stability However, U.S. involvement in the Rwanda-Congo crisis is often viewed with suspicion, owing to the complex mix of economic, strategic, and geopolitical factors at play.
