We are now witnessing the fast-tracked consequences of US foreign policy for the last 25 years “run amuck” and derailed now that Donald Trump has proved his comeback was not by happenstance. His beating the odds, with many hurdles in his way, is a rude-awakening for many, for some — their worst nightmare—especially amongst Yellow Dog Democrats.
Day of Judgment
For instance, CNN should get an award with this one: Trump’s second term could bring chaos around the world. Will it work? Anything is better than what got us to where we are now; this article implies that the world is not already in the midst of chaos.
It would be an exaggeration to take such an article seriously, despite its op-ed tone and the well-known biases of CNN; it would be a stretch of the imagination that the piece provides a framework for understanding Trump’s foreign policy as an unpredictable force that challenges norms and international stability.
The contrast between the Trump and Biden (also known as “Genocide Joe”) administrations in dealing with issues like Israel, Iran, and Ukraine is well known. Why only now are claims being made about the lack of consistency of Trump’s policies, however controversial? Is it to disrupt his efforts to pick up the pieces of years of ruinous US foreign policy that has been over the top, starting from the Clinton Administration.
Administrations come and go, but the policy, at least until now, remains pretty much the same. Trump was also guilty of going along with the so-called experts in his first term, much to his dismay in retrospect, and not taking account of complicated histories and competing forces into consideration.
Trump would be wise to distance himself from Biden’s policies on issues like Israel, Iran, and Ukraine.
He may too need to change the page on some of his own rhetoric and previous policies in these war zones. Trump’s lack of interest in “reclaiming territory” in Ukraine hints at a shift from traditional US interventionism toward a peace-first approach, albeit with ambiguity.
Hopefully, now he has learned his lesson, the hard way!
What is most disturbing for those at western news networks is that Trump has no choice in fulfilling his mandate, with the hope of a legacy to us, by using his negotiating skills to undo what the “experts” have made a mess of – especially Ukraine, Palestine and destroying America’s standing with most of the world, even our closest allies.
Already Trump’s transition distances itself from the Ukrainian “Victory” plan outlined by so-called president Zelensky, opting for a more pragmatic approach, based on the reality on the ground, realization of mistakes made, and vested interests. We can conclude, looking at the situation on the ground in Ukraine, and based on allegedly what Republican operatives have told the BBC, that peace, not regaining territory from Russia, is Trump’s goal in Ukraine.
Peace over Reclaiming Territories
In the conflagration of Ukraine, Trump’s administration now seems determined to prioritize establishing peace over reclaiming territories, including Crimea, which a recent article, gave the impression should be considered being lost to Ukraine, and if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy insists on regaining Crimea as a condition for peace, he is not serious about negotiations, which could put him at odds with Trump, who seems to see Ukraine as a distraction from the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East, as well as Taiwan.
Trump, has been vague about his peace approach, most likely intentionally, so that many in his “fan club” would not know too much, in order not to derail them. It is worth noting that he has previously claimed “he could end the conflict quickly, in one day”, but did not follow up with details. Additionally, Trump has not dismissed the possibility of Ukraine ceding land to Russia, aligning with peace proposals by some allies that imply Russian control over certain Ukrainian territories.
We can only wonder at this stage the impact that RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, who have been named to the transition team some weeks ago—are having on the policy process, and how Trump is not being so vocal at each and every step. He is holding his cards close, and has the poker face and hand to call all bets.
This move, by having former Democrats on board, shows that the Republican Party has changed, opening its ranks to a wide spectrum of society, and is a redefining of the political process in America, especially in taking away the line that has separated the two parties for so many years. This has redefined what the parties now stand for, as MAGA Republicans demonstrate just how much their party is evolving.
Trump is also willing to distance himself, publically, even to “pink slip” for good, some previous insiders, for obvious reasons, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he “will not be inviting former [UN] Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo” to work for him again.
The only potential fly in the ointment is, will Trump understand that Russia now holds a very good hand of cards, as the military conflict has undermined the Ukrainian army trained and equipped by NATO and seriously depleted not only Ukrainian, but also NATO strategic stocks of weapons and equipment?
We can only hope that Trump’s business experience will come to the fore, and not that of ideologues who still infest the Pentagon and State Department. The businessman in Trump will, one can hope, prefer to cut losses on a losing situation, rather than gamble the whole shebang on one more throw of the dice.
Only time will tell, with regard to Ukraine, but at least the signs are, at the moment, positive.
Drill, baby, drill!
Domestic agendas will also be impacting foreign policy, as Trump has promised to ramp up US fossil fuel production and regularly uses the slogan “Drill, baby, drill!” at his rallies. It goes without saying that Trump is pro oil and gas, so we might see more leasing and production soon.
Such slogans are far-reaching in their implications, on the world markets as well, and may help in reducing dependency on fossil fuels from a part of the world that is a mess on the foreign policy map.
This is just the opposite of the Biden Administration, and its efforts to fast track Americans to alternative energy supplies that were non-sustainable, too costly, and without a backup for strategic metals, like Lithium, needed for battery production.
Trump’s ability to selectively engage past advisors, distance himself from establishment insiders, and prioritize American economic interests over international entanglements signals would confirm his intent to renegotiate America’s role on the global stage—one that might look less like chaos and what Joe Biden “inflicted on the world” and more like recalibration to his supporters.
Seth Ferris, investigative journalist and political scientist, expert on Middle Eastern affairs, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”
