April 23, 2025

The global trade war started by Trump by imposing tariffs on virtually every country in the world, including places like Lesotho, a very poor country in Africa which exports clothes and diamonds, and uninhabited islands occupied only by penguins, has further solidified the impression of everyone that the U.S. is an untrustworthy trading partner.  This global trade war is just another example of how the Trump administration is unreliable on the global stage.

It was Trump who chose to negotiate a deal directly with the Taliban in Afghanistan to withdraw US troops without involving the Afghanistan government at the time. He promised to withdraw US troops in a very aggressive timeframe.  When Trump was voted out of office, Biden was stuck with the choice of honoring the agreement Trump had negotiated or tearing it up. Biden agreed to withdraw American troops in accordance with the agreement Trump signed and we all know the disastrous ending to that troop withdrawal. Biden was blamed for the entire debacle, but many people don’t remember, or choose not to remember, that it was Trump who negotiated the deal – without the Afghanistan government. 

It was the first Trump administration who abandoned the Kurdish fighters who had fought alongside US troops in Syria for years. He pulled US troops away just as Türkiye, under President Erdogan, was getting ready to invade the territory occupied by the Kurds. Many of the Republicans then in Congress decried the abandonment of our Kurdish allies, but Trump did it anyway. Trump, once again, solidified the belief that the United States cannot be trusted as an ally.

In addition to Trump’s tariffs on our NATO allies, he has said that he won’t guarantee that he would come to their aid if Russia attacks them, despite Article V of the NATO charter that says an attack on any member nation is an attack on all member nations.  Article V has only been invoked once and that was in response to the September 11th attacks on the United States. Our NATO allies jumped into the fight, without hesitation, and now Trump is saying he may not reciprocate.

Today the Trump administration is pressuring Ukraine to accept a deal that would have them agree to cede the Crimea to Russia which it illegally annexed in 2014, and which resulted in significant sanctions by the US and other countries, not to mention almost universal condemnation. The US, which has been supporting Ukraine in its war against the Russian invasion three years ago appears to be on the verge of abandoning that support. This would only benefit Russia and simply embolden Putin to embark on future aggressive territorial grabs. Ukraine, once viewed as an ally, would be cast aside just like the Afghans and the Kurds.

Trump’s foreign policies, such as they are, are not making America great. They are convincing the world that America, under Trump, will stab its closest friends in the back and abandon allies in a fight when they need help the most. Trump’s foreign policies are benefitting China. They are also benefitting Vladimir Putin. One must wonder why.

By Mike

I am retired after spending 30+ years in the defense industry. I am an avid bicyclist, Harley rider, skier, and world traveler. I really became interested in politics during the last few years but have enjoyed writing on many different topics for a long time. Some people agree with me, some don't and that is fine. My 'musings' are simply an outlet for me.

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