Since assuming the presidential office for the second time, Donald Trump has sought to be known as a man of peace. However, his paradoxical policies have rendered this attempt ineffective.
Campaign Promises vs. Presidential Reality
Contradictions in Foreign Policy
President Trump initiated a peace process between Russia and Ukraine shortly after taking office. The Trump administration and Ukraine agreed on a controversial peace deal. The US media created hypocrisy, stating that the peace depends on President Putin after the country sent the agreed proposal to Moscow. In reality, the proposed deal was unacceptable for Russia as it did not include concrete proposals for long-term peace between the two sides.
This move was widely seen as a Western strategy to tarnish the Putin administration’s improving image around the globe. Moreover, the deal was also seen as a tool to re-arm and regroup Ukrainian forces. The United States has still not provided any concrete plan to establish long-term peace between Russia and Ukraine. Despite his apparent efforts to promote a ceasefire, President Trump recently approved a $310 million defense deal with Ukraine.
President Trump also pledged to establish peace in the Middle East during his election campaign. However, soon after his re-election, he expressed his unequivocal support for the Zionist state. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was the first international leader to visit Washington after his reelection for the second non-consecutive term. During this visit, Trump came up with a highly controversial plan for besieged Gaza. Trump suggested enforced displacement of the native Palestinians to the neighboring countries, including Jordan and Egypt.
However, this proposal met severe criticism from almost all the countries around the world. The United States continues to provide economic, military, and diplomatic support to the Zionist states under the Trump administration. The United States has repeatedly vetoed UN resolutions asking for a humanitarian pause in Gaza. Trump administration has also conducted military strikes on Yemen under the pretense of securing the Red Sea. However, it is an open secret that these strikes are motivated to end regional resistance against Israel.
President Trump’s unwavering support for Israel jeopardizes his much-touted “America First” approach. In a recent move, the United States has once again vetoed a UN resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, further exposing Trump’s hidden ambitions. President Trump’s desire to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, without a peaceful resolution of the Palestine issue, also exposes his covert Middle East plans.
The US President has also initiated nuclear negotiations with Iran. However, reports suggest that the Trump administration is only making sham efforts to improve its international image. Iran seeks a surety of no military offensive by the Zionist state. However, the Trump administration is not ready to provide any such guarantee. The US seeks to sign a deal with Iran without addressing the latter’s core issues and concerns, making a peace deal between the two sides impossible.
A Manufactured Image at the Cost of Global Stability
The only success that the US President got in making peace between the two warring parties was a temporary ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The United States has always had significant influence over the two South Asian neighbors. It has been providing economic and military support to both sides for decades. Washington has always opted between the two sides according to its transitioning regional ambitions. President Trump announced a ceasefire deal after a military standoff between the two sides last month. Since then, he has missed no opportunity to boast about this success.
However, his support for the ongoing genocide in Gaza, sanctions on Afghanistan and Iran, travel ban on a dozen countries, and military strikes in Yemen demonstrate the devil hidden behind the self-proclaimed identity of a peacemaker. The Trump administration’s support to Israel has led to the deaths of scores of Middle Eastern civilians, including children and women, especially in Gaza and Yemen. President Trump’s policy toward Iran could lead to a similar outcome sooner or later.
Just like other US Presidents, Donald Trump is also fueling tensions and chaos around the world to secure the United States’ interests. Trump’s aspiration to be seen as a peacemaker is widely regarded as a futile attempt to restore the United States’ international image. However, analysts worldwide must also recognize that Trump prioritizes his personal image over that of the United States. And his current policy will further expedite the decline of the United States.
Taut Bataut – is a researcher and writer that publishes on South Asian geopolitics
