Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist August 2018 | Page 28

Trump defi ed his own intelligence agencies by supporting Putin’s claims of non-interference in American affairs.
Most recently, he called out Germany as being a captive
of Russia, referring to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project
spearheaded by Russia. The Trump administration is currently
preparing sanctions targeted at the joint EU-Russia project,
with the aim to “reduce the dependency” of U.S. allies and
partners on Russian energy and to deter the Kremlin from
“using its energy resources as a geopolitical weapon.” On
one hand, he is directly accusing an important ally of being
at the mercy of the Russians, and on the other, preparing
sanctions to apparently help the same American allies reduce
their dependency on Russia.
Rest aside, Trump’s meeting with Russian President
Vladimir Putin at a July 16 news conference in Helsinki has
been by far the most controversial event in his Presidency
so far. The US President appeared to back claims by Putin
over the reports of his own security agencies with regard to
Russia’s alleged involvement in the 2016 US Presidential
elections. He went on to invite the Russian President to
Washington, a move that was met with widespread criticism
back home. In the aftermath of the incident, Trump followed
usual protocol by calling the Helsinki meet a ‘great success’,
while White House offi cials were running helter-skelter to
address a barrage of angry questions from the press. The
US President has fl ip fl opped on his stance over Russia’s
alleged meddling in the 2016 President Elections, consistently
backtracking on whether the Russians were indeed involved
in the run up to the elections.
Trump’s unconventional methods were on full display
during his recent visit to the United Kingdom, where many
felt that he disrespected the Queen by not bowing his head as
is customary practice. He further added fuel to the fi re when
he reportedly offered his best lawyers to Theresa May, urging
her to sue the European Union. Trump’s UK visit further
complicated an already diffi cult Brexit deal for UK Prime
Minister May, with several high-ranking ministers resigning
over the terms of the Brexit deal as agreed with the European
Union. As mentioned before, President Trump has already
distanced several allies, including Canada, with his proactive
protectionism and the imposition of tariffs on imports from
Canada and the European Union. This has resulted in a bitter
28 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 6 • Issue 8 • August 2018, Noida