News Analysis |
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain to express his solidarity with Pakistan. US President Donald Trump recently launched a Twitter attack against Pakistan accusing the country of creating ‘safe havens’ for terrorists. The Turkish President offered his full support and cooperation to Pakistan.
A press release by the presidency revealed Erdogan’s response to Trump’s harsh criticism of Pakistan. “Trump’s conduct in spite of Pakistan’s great sacrifices is undesirable,” said the Turkish head of state as he acknowledged all the sacrifices and lives lost in Pakistan’s active war against terror.
Countries are looking at other powers in the world like China and Russia to solve their issues instead of the US. Beijing under the leadership of President Xi Jinping is working hard to take the US’s position as the leader of the world.
President Mamnoon Hussain responded to the statement by saying “This love-filled message has made us feel proud.” The statement by Erdogan highlights the US’ deteriorating diplomatic ties with the rest of the world. Before Turkey, China also expressed its full support of Pakistan after Trump’s notorious New Years tweet.
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Trump has slowly been destroying the diplomatic ties that helped the US reign supreme for so many years. Trump has recreated the century old American policy of isolationism, which has been responsible for the PR fiasco faced by the former dominant super power. The US had abandoned this policy ever since it got involved in World War I. Trump’s slogan ‘America First’ has seen its practical manifestation in America’s foreign policy.
The first demonstration of this policy was in the ‘2015 Paris agreement’ which was an international agreement for the reduction of greenhouse gases. The president announced withdrawal from this agreement, stating that it would undermine the US economy and put the US under a permanent disadvantage.
President Trump has shown a poor understanding of ground realities and how diplomacy works in his recent tweet. Ultimately, the US would suffer itself for their irresponsible policies and actions.
The international response over the withdrawal was overwhelmingly negative. The US received strong criticism from all sections of the society, within the country and abroad. Another environmental agreement, Kyoto Protocol, failed in the past because the US didn’t ratify it. The Paris agreement is feared to meet the same fate. Withdrawal from such an important international agreement, on which the whole future of the world relies, would prove detrimental to US relations with the world and weaken its position as the global leader.
Another major rift between the US and Europe was created when Trump tried to sabotage the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the P5+1 deal. The Iran nuclear deal was the signature foreign policy achievement of Obama’s presidency. Heavy economic sanctions were lifted from Iran and in return, Iran promised to dismantle its nuclear program.
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Trump announced that he would recertify the deal and accused Iran of breaking parts of the agreement. America’s European allies are not happy with his stance since they had worked hard to broker the deal. Cancelling the deal would further antagonize Iran and create further unrest in the region and the world.
There can be no solution to the Afghan problem without adding Pakistan to the equation. The US cannot complete the withdrawal of its troops without Pakistani help.
President Donald Trump’s move to accept Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was the biggest nail in the coffin for US foreign relations. The US has always vowed to find a bilateral solution to the Palestine issue. This move sparked much controversy and condemnation all around the globe and undermined the US’s role in any future talks between Israel and Palestine. The US also vetoed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution for President Trump to withdraw his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Even America’s closest allies voted in favor of the resolution, which paints a clear picture of where the US stands in the world.
Pakistan has been a key ally of the US in the Afghan war. There can be no solution to the Afghan problem without adding Pakistan to the equation. The US cannot complete the withdrawal of its troops without Pakistani help. The Trump administration failed to realize this and took a stern stance against Pakistan ever since coming into power.
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Diplomacy has been thrown out of the window and the blame game has started against Pakistan. No love was lost between Pakistan and the US when Donald Trump made a tweet accusing Pakistan of ‘lies and deceit’. President Trump has shown a poor understanding of ground realities and how diplomacy works in his recent tweet. Ultimately, the US would suffer itself for their irresponsible policies and actions.
With Trump’s direct nature and insulting tweets, he has put the US in a precarious situation. Countries are looking at other powers in the world like China and Russia to solve their issues instead of the US. Beijing under the leadership of President Xi Jinping is working hard to take the US’s position as the leader of the world. It might not be too late for the US to mend fences and make a comeback, but the direction in which they are going doesn’t look too favorable for it’s future.