Donald Trump's second term as President of the United States is not boring. On a daily basis, the White House – or Trump himself, often via social media – makes an announcement that leaves the democratic community worried and other parts of the world confused.
What has unfolded over the past few days regarding Ukraine is one of the latest examples. And what has transpired between Washington and Kyiv offers a powerful example that Trump has zero interest in legitimately backing any ally. Under his watch, everything is negotiable, and Trump is expecting the U.S. to get the better end of any deal. Proponents of his \"America First\" philosophy will celebrate; critics will ask about undermining the delicate balance between one country’s wants and the global community’s needs.
The controversial agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine, revealed by Ukrainian officials on February 25, involves the U.S. gaining access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals and other resources, although not at the level the White House first wanted. The minerals are critical because they are at the foundation of the technologies needed to produce everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. For now, there are no security guarantees committing the U.S. to protecting Ukraine; although when the presidents of the two nations meet in the coming days, that topic will likely be discussed.
Less than a week ago, the thought of any agreement between the two countries seemed implausible. Trump was on a verbal rampage, at one point suggesting the Ukrainian president was little more than a \"modestly successful comedian\" who had convinced the U.S. to spend billions of dollars on a war against Russia \"that couldn’t be won.\" If that tirade was not enough to raise eyebrows, Trump also accused Zelenskyy of being \"a dictator\" who was wildly unpopular at home. To complete his barrage, Trump suggested Zelenskyy \"immediately\" exit Ukraine and move to France, according to a source who spoke to one U.S. newspaper.
Left unclear as well at this moment is whether Trump will remain adamant that conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the three-year-old military conflict between Russia and Ukraine should not include Ukraine at the negotiating table. Zelenskyy continues to be outraged by such suggestions, and one U.S. ally after another is also dissatisfied with the idea. They see it as a potential precursor to Trump distancing the U.S. from Europe for reasons that right now might be clear only in his mind. In examining U.S.-European relations, a senior fellow at a European think tank recently said that \"we are in … a very serious situation here where the assumptions of many decades have simply been blown away – and principally, the assumption that the U.S. will underwrite Europe's security.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
