Who could have believed that Donald Trumpthis president who was said to be unpredictable and unstable, would end up resolving a war as deadly and intractable as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? After his famous peace agreement, hailed around the world – even by his fiercest opponents – the President of the United States is looking at another terrain, just as steep as the Middle East: at the gates of Europe this time. In Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky greets today on Telegram a “good conversation, very productive” with his American counterpart, going so far as to thank Trump for his “willingness to support” Ukraine in the face of Russian strikes.
However, we come a long way in the relationship between the two men. After the cold, then aggressive reception given to Zelensky by Trump and his vice-president at the White House a few months ago, it seems that Washington is gradually changing its tone with Moscow. Realizing that the Russian president was not as reliable an interlocutor as he expected, and faced with the unexpected cohesion of the Europeans on the Ukrainian issue – from Meloni to Macron via Starmer – Trump appears today more determined to support kyiv than last spring.
“We discussed the possibilities of strengthening our anti-aircraft defense and the agreements we are preparing on this subject. There are good options, strong ideas to really strengthen us”said Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian adds: “The Russians must be ready to participate in real diplomacy. Through strength, this can be ensured. » Thus opening a path for a diplomatic solution, kyiv could well find a path, albeit narrow, towards lasting peace.
As since the start of this conflict, the language of force remains the one that prevails, and diplomacy struggles to assert itself. But for the first time in a long time, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Nothing prevents us today from dreaming of a solution for the war in Ukraine, as of the ceasefire declared in Gaza – although Hamas still categorically refuses to disarm. Could Trump, this head of state so mocked and decried in his early days, achieve, ultimatelyto achieve peace on the borders of Europe and Russia? As paradoxical as it may seem, could his isolationism – America First – ultimately promote peace? There is no doubt that the coming months will provide answers to these questions.
The fact remains that the situation has changed, starting with the Trumpian doctrine in matters of international relations, which is shaking up the world order. In just a few years, the American president has broken with decades of diplomatic tradition. It abandoned the role of world policeman assumed by the United States, exerted authoritarian pressure on its allies – starting with the European Union – and refused to intervene militarily at will. These fundamental changes are now impacting all our certainties in terms of foreign policy. The man we believed would take the United States out of history is, paradoxically, putting his country back at the center of the game.
In Ukraine as in Gaza, those who do not like Trump are forced to recognize him as having a real capacity to develop deals
Does this mean that everything is positive in international Trumpism? No, of course. His economic vision of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and his desire to “pay yourself” on rare earths testify to a conquering concept, totally unsuitable for contemporary issues. In the same way, its imperialist inclinations with Canada or Greenland are enough to make you smile – or worry. While his “French Riviera” project in Gaza illustrated his complete ignorance of the conflict. However, despite these delays, US foreign policy today appears to be bearing fruit, and the break with its predecessors could well help resolve some of the deadliest conflicts. Whether you’re a Trumpist or not, that’s all that matters in the short term.
In Ukraine as in Gaza, those who do not like Trump are forced to recognize him as having a real capacity to develop deals. Basically, that’s what diplomacy is: bringing around the table those who until now refused to dialogue, finding compromises and sticking to them. Over the years, we Europeans have forgotten this: the world is made up of power struggles and opposing interests. Being aware of this and working to reconcile sometimes opposing objectives, without naivety but with skill, would already be progress for the Old Continent. In this matter, and despite his faults, Trump can constitute – if not a model – at least an example.
