In the first few months of the Trump administration, there have been many policies in the realm of affecting international relations. President Trump enacted multiple executive orders, realigning the United States’ position in the world. Moreover, tariffs on allies and distant nations became a heated topic in both a political and economic sense. Then, the country is on the precipice of breaking treaties signed post-WWII and exacerbating tensions with the European Union, with the administration’s claims of taking over Denmark. Lastly, with the Russia-Ukraine War, there has been a surprising turn of events, with the US siding with Russia and lessening aid to Ukraine.
Within the first week, President Trump withdrew from the Paris Accords, in the name of putting more of a focus on the nation’s economy and reducing the country’s involvement in foreign environmental policies. Following that, President Trump halted all aid to foreign nations, as it needed to reassess for usefulness for the US and the receiving countries. Trump then withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO), which led to the US having more control over how it polices health. Prior to this, President Biden turned to the WHO for assistance on how to handle the pandemic. Finally, in terms of foreign and domestic policy, there is more security against supposed foreign threats, as several executive orders recharacterized groups as terrorists, almost banned TikTok (as China could possibly use American data against the nation), and lessened the influx of illegal migrants from the Southern border. An extension of bolstering the nation’s security is the cancellation of visas, where many individuals have had “links to terrorist agencies”. So, multiple relations with countries have weakened from the executive orders, especially since America has pulled back on foreign policy.
Following the policy changes, President Trump enacted several tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, all of which have a mutualistic relationship with the US. Mexico and Canada are our closest allies, whilst the US has been economically benefiting from China’s exports. Even though the tariffs have rescinded to the stock market crashing, tensions between the said countries have been on an all-time high.
In a political sense, from the beginning of his second term, President Trump has reiterated his desire to take over Greenland. The reason is that Greenland has multiple beneficial fossil fuels and rare minerals necessary for the auto industry. An acquisition of the country would propel the Americanization policies, where America’s economy is put first over others. But, this would dispel the world’s order, as Denmark, who owns the territory, has expressed disapproval. The PM herself stated that “one cannot annex a country”.
In a surprising turn of events, the Trump administration realigned itself with Russia in the Ukraine-Russia War. This policy change was illustrated by a tense meeting between President Zelensky and President Trump, where the latter raised questions about the future of the War. Following that, the US stopped aid to Ukraine, until President Zelensky issued an apology and expressed gratitude for US involvement. So, again, tensions are high between the three nations, with the fate of Ukraine being uncertain.
In a connected world, the US’s relationship with other nations remains central to global stability. As the country navigates its foreign policy, especially with the current changes, it must learn to balance what the country wants and what is good for the world.
