- If one man’s ascendancy to the most powerful office in the world could cause so much consternation, disturb the established harmony, create a sense of foreboding, and make several countries strongly anticipate hitherto unseen churning on matters of trade and in turn economy, then Donald Trump has successfully achieved the intended mayhem in no time. Those following the fortunes of Donald Trump right from his acceptance as a Republican candidature to campaigning to eventual win in the most vituperative election for the President’s office would have anticipated the global community would witness something out of the ordinary sooner than later. The dreaded proclamations from the maverick politician were visible for long.
PC: Sky News
- Of course, Trump undertook a no-holds-barred campaign highlighting how his focus will be to Make America Great Again (MAGA). His promise to ensure reciprocal tariffs on certain countries has come true. Trump is in a hurry to introduce all the measures announced grandiosely during the campaign. A slew of executive orders flowing from the desk of the President is creating so much havoc in America as well as other countries is stating the obvious. Trump has now set eyes on resolving the long-lingering Russia-Ukraine conflict by initiating chats between America and Russia as reported recently. Come to think of it, Trump-Putin chats aren’t bad news for India geostrategically speaking. Expect the unexpected is the norm from Trump is known by now.
PC: DW
- Let’s explore further to comprehend the eventual outcome of the envisaged plans from the maverick President. The recent meeting between high-level American and Russian delegates in Saudi Arabia certainly churned the geopolitical pot wittingly or unwittingly. First, it’s sent European nations into a huddle, worried that the Trans-Atlantic Alliance’s fraying and a deal on Ukraine would be reached without them at the table. Many interpret this as being thrown to the Russian wolf. Second, it’s put US aid for Ukraine under a big cloud. Zelenskyy, unsurprisingly, has said that he won’t accept any deals between Washington and Moscow about Ukraine made without Kyiv. Rightly so as he is still hanging around in the region as reported.
PC: AL-Monitor
- Zelenskyy is travelling to UAE and Türkiye before going to Saudi Arabia himself. In that sense, Trump has moved the needle on the Ukraine war. Everyone is at least discussing new ideas. Russia reportedly has now said it’s fine with Ukraine joining the EU but not Nato. The US wants to reset ties with Russia and wean it away from the China-North Korea-Iran camp. It’s not a bad strategy. The Beijing-Moscow compact is a big headache for India. China and North Korea have invested too much in Russia over the course of the war. However, Moscow may be open to hedging. Note that it has not blocked the sale of Indian BrahMos cruise missiles to the Philippines and now potentially to Vietnam, two countries locked in maritime disputes with China. Interesting times ahead.
