Drama - But With Heavy Repercussions

Drama! But then with Donald Trump as the American President this seems to be fast becoming the new USP of the White House. But even so the heated exchange set off by Vice President J.D.Vance — who not so long ago had been rather critical of the President he now so appears to adore — and involving Ukraine President Volodymur Zelenskyy and of course Trump has created a record of sorts. The nastiness and the ‘putting down’ of one leader by another is surely unprecedented in diplomacy and an indication of the low levels one can expect the Trump administration to hit in dealing with the world.

The disrespect that Zelensky was accused of stayed really on the side of Vance and Trump as they, along with a media poodle, accosted Zelensky in tone and words that froze the room. And the world that watched. The media poodle’s contribution was a question of why the Ukrainian President did not wear a suit, but asked offensively to indicate that it was not a sign of stupidity but a statement of aggression. That it followed almost similar remarks by Trump when he greeted Zelensky earlier in the day with a deliberate comment on his clothes underlined the same.

Zelensky to give him credit did not kow down, and unlike many leaders we have seen visit the White House, held his own. But it was clear from Trump’s angst that one, the Ukrainian president had not given in to pressure to sign the peace deal and was not prepared to sign on a dotted line that equated Russia with Ukraine in this war. It was also clear that for Donald Trump the Russian President Vladimir Putin can do little wrong, and that the peace treaty he seems to be brokering will not necessarily champion the Ukrainian cause.

Interestingly, the reason for the visible animosity on display at the Oval Office could be far more superficial though. Vance perhaps let the cat out of the bag when he reminded Zelensky that he had campaigned against the President. Zelensky during a visit to the White House late last year had broken from the norm and given a joint speech with the then Vice President Kamala Harris even as she and Trump were in the midst of a heated campaign for President. Trump has a long memory and does not seem to have forgiven leaders who had taken sides during the campaign.

Even as America is reeling from the open anti-Ukraine, pro-Putin stance of the Trump Administration, European leaders who have also been at the receiving end are involved in deep damage control. The first indication of this was the almost immediate meeting between Zelensky and the British Prime Minister Keith Starmer, who went out of his way to list the achievements of the politically wounded Ukrainian leader and assure him of full support. This brought a smile back on Zelensky’s face as he tentatively, in an interview, spoke of working closely with China.

And this is where Trump and his minions in the US administration seem to be driving the world to. Europe is visibly smarting from the ridicule and the antagonistic comments by not just Trump but also Vance during his first visit to the region, and Macron’s smile while at the White House was frayed around the edges. The French President has already made it clear in an important speech after Vance’s visit, that it was time for Europe to rework its geo-political strategy and consider its own defence. This in itself is a major push forward for nations who had been fairly content to let Washington call their shots, and had lulled themselves to believe that this western alliance would never really be fragmented. Perhaps they should have taken a leaf out of Asia’s book where it is widely said that the US is a bad foe, but a worse friend.

Trump has at the moment pushed the entire world –except Russia and China– away. Africa has been hit with his rhetoric and threats, but South Africa has stood away making it clear it does not need the US for its survival. It has good economic links with China that will give teeth to this rejection. South Asia is not really in Trump’s sights but it is clear that India does not hold the same hallowed position as it did during his first term. And will now be dealt with accordingly – reciprocal tariffs and trade. But not as a strategic counter to China, as Trump has faith in his ability to deal with the giant directly and not through India in any way. At least for the moment. Russia of course remains a friend.

The Arab world is waiting for the storm with Trump’s threat to take over the land of Gaza and convert it into a Riviera. He is not even bothered that he has proposed ethnic cleansing of Palestinians as a solution as the world outside Israel and his trumpeting white racist supporters seems to matter little to the current incumbent of the White House. The King of Jordan was amongst the first flush of visitors to the White House, and although he looked sick in the face at the meetings, Trump appeared rather gung ho at the time. As he might have had reason to because these autocrats of the Arab world —like many European leaders— depend entirely on Washington’s support to survive.

In the public domain, for now, the Arab countries have shown some spine and made it clear that there was no question of moving the Palestinians out of Gaza. Trump, who has surrounded himself with anti-Palestine fanatics, has not stretched the bit for the moment but will do so sooner than later. All possible resistance will have to unite to save the situation for the Palestinians when he gets going on this one.

In the process, however, Trump and his bunch of advisors are making everything far more difficult for themselves and isolating America rapidly.Currently former allies Europe, UK, Canada, Middle East, Africa are all ranged against Trump and have been questioning his policies openly. In the process Russia and China are being strengthened both economically and diplomatically.

Trump might secure himself as a raging oligarch given the support of Americans today, but he will find it difficult to bulldoze the world into acquiescence. More so as his foreign diplomacy is not one of reconciliation but of aggression and threat that will make it difficult even for pliable leaders like the Saudi Monarchy to fall in line, despite wanting to. One thing is certain though, Trump is determined to drag the world into the abyss he is staring into and it will need new strategy, new unity, and new alignments to resist and defeat him.