How risky is Trump's foreign policy?
Following the summit in Helsinki US President Trump has come under major pressure and is rejecting cross-party criticism in the US of his conduct at the summit meeting. Most commentators also take a dim view of Trump's foreign policy. But there are exceptions.
Charm offensive was brilliant
Trump knows exactly what he's doing, Christian conservative author Mike Evans writes in defence of the president in the Jerusalem Post:
“What did the Trump-haters want him to do? Open the press conference by insulting Putin? How could this possibly be in America's national interest? If anything, it would make Putin even more tenacious in his dealings with world leaders. ... During World War II, president Franklin Roosevelt shocked the world by forging an alliance with Russia's Joseph Stalin for only one purpose: to win the war. There is no possibility that Mr. Trump does not understand all the facts concerning Putin. His charm offensive was brilliant. You might say President Trump is 'dumb as a fox.' He knows exactly what his objectives are.”
US at the crossroads
Donald Trump is doing a complete U-turn in foreign policy, Novi list concludes commenting on the meeting with the Russian president:
“Since the power of the US has its limits the country is now at a crossroads: either it cooperates with Russia and other major powers or frustration over its unfulfilled hegemonial aspirations causes it to resort to militarism and conflicts. Global cooperation is described by [economist Jeffrey D.] Sachs as the willingness to reach agreements with other countries, not the setting of unilateral demands. The US has traditionally always given orders rather than sought compromise. ... In this respect Trump has shown a new side by seeking to represent the interests of the US through competition and cooperation rather than demands.”
West facing big decision
Since Trump is once again making questionable statements about international relations, above all the US must soon take a decision, Cumhuriyet urges:
“At a time when the concept of democracy is threatened around the world, Trump prefers the enemies of democracy to democracy. That is an untenable situation. The US must say goodbye either to its president or to the liberal-democratic order it itself set up after the Second World War. Either the Western Alliance - which created institutions like the European Union and Nato - will survive, or we will return - as Putin says - to the system of 'competition between big states' reminiscent of the 19th century. Either Trump wins or the West wins. There's nothing in between.”
Europe must close ranks
The EU now has two enemies, Libération warns:
“Really, never has a leader of the free world fawned so pathetically over a Russian leader that many view as a tyrant. This burlesque Yalta between a block of ice and a will-o-the-wisp has one target: the European Union, which was founded with America's approval to stand up to Russia's ambitions and now finds itself caught in the crossfire. It's often said that only an external enemy can bring together nations with different interests. Europe now has two such enemies and must learn its lesson from this.”
Red line can no longer be seen
International political expert Lucio Caracciolo sees Europe under threat in La Repubblica:
“Naturally neither the Americans nor the Russians have any interest in destabilising the European area beyond the state of alarm. You'd have to be crazy to believe - either in Moscow or in Washington - that something could be gained by a European conflagration that led to a global catastrophe. But no one seems to be able to say with any certainty where the 'red line' lies that would prevent an accidental conflict.”
Two-pronged strategy vis-à-vis US
The criticism of the US president coming from Republicans and US institutions shows that Trump can't be equated with the US, Verslo žinios writes, offering the EU a piece of advice:
“Amidst this geopolitical chaos Lithuania should not gravitate towards the poles or be infected by the overly pessimistic mood. The White House is not the US, where there are influential politicians, economists and institutions with whom Europe can work constructively. It's entirely possible that the EU will switch to a two-pronged diplomacy strategy in its transatlantic relations: one for its relations with Trump and another vis-à-vis US institutions.”