US President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy is transactional in nature, and he relentlessly shapes the agenda to his advantage, attempting to put opponents on the defensive, American journalist and political commentator Fareed Zakaria said in a discussion with India Today TV.
When asked whether world leaders are intimidated by Trump’s actions, Zakaria said, “Trump relentlessly and polemically shapes the agenda to his advantage, trying to put opponents on the defensive.”
“Trump, because he is so transactional, is always looking to see whom he has leverage over so that he can pressure them into a win-lose situation. For Trump, there is no win-win–he wins, you lose,” Zakaria said.
On Trump’s approach towards Ukraine, Canada, and Mexico–US allies, unlike China and Russia–Zakaria remarked that he wilfully turned the country’s foreign policy into a purely transactional affair.
“In the long run, however, what this does is transform America’s position in the world from being a country that built enduring relationships to one that is purely transactional,” Zakaria explained while speaking to India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai on the US President’s policies on the day of his first congressional address.
He further stressed, “And I think, as any good businessman will tell you, the way to build a great enterprise that endures is not through transactions but through relationships.”
Zakaria opined that, as a businessman, Trump operated in a way that left the other party feeling so cheated that they never wanted to do business with him again. “That’s what he’s doing in international affairs,” he added.
Within two months of taking office, Donald Trump introduced sweeping policy changes, including announcing a 25 per cent tariff on Canada and Mexico and a 20 per cent tariff on China, along with reciprocal tariffs on any country that levies duties on US goods.
In another major policy shift, he sided with Russia as Washington sought to mend ties with Moscow, pressuring Ukraine to reach a peace deal with Russia. He has also halted assistance to several countries and organisations, including US military aid to Ukraine.
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