Trump makes a ‘seismic’ global impact in his first year in office
US and Russia remain at odds IS virtually defeated in Iraq
With a sharp departure from years and sometimes decades of US foreign policy, president Donald Trump has made a seismic global impact during his first year in office.
The reign has been delivered with his own brand of bombast and occasional threats.
Contentious issues have always existed, especially in conflict ridden or volatile countries, but has he improved or worsened matters? Mr Trump repeatedly declared in his campaign he would improve relations with Russia, but was never specific.
A year into his presidency, Moscow and Washington are at odds over issues ranging from North Korea to the Ukraine despite Mr Trump’s open admiration of president Vladimir Putin.
Russian officials had high hopes Mr Trump would move to abandon or reduce the sanctions the US imposed over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Instead, the American president approved selling lethal weapons to Ukraine for the fight against the rebels. He even signed legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia.
Asia was meanwhile one of Mr Trump’s punching bags during his election campaign. Chinese and Japanese exports were destroying US jobs. South Korea and Japan weren’t paying enough for US troops defending their countries. Then came Kim Jong-un.
Both sides have traded threats and insults. North Korea has carried out an underground nuclear test and three missile launches demonstrating at least a theoretical ability to reach the US.
Seeking China’s help on isolating North Korea through economic sanctions, Mr Trump backed off a threat to label China a currency manipulator. However, as his second year in office dawns, Mr Trump appears to be moving steadily toward raising tariffs or restricting imports to try to force China to take steps to narrow its trade surplus with the US.
He can claim credit for the virtual defeat of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria on his watch. Mr Trump largely continued predecessor Barack Obama’s anti-is strategy and intensified it. US troop levels were increased in both countries, coalition commanders got more authority to call airstrikes and operations focused on killing more militants rather than allowing their escape. The biggest victory was retaking the Iraqi city of Mosul. Iraqi forces later retook nearly all the territory held by IS and the government declared victory over the group last month.
Mr Trump promised to pursue “the ultimate deal” – an agreement to end the Israelipalestinian conflict. A year later, he has made little headway.
In December, he upended decades of policy by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The move, seen as siding with Israel, set off weeks of unrest and prompted the Palestinians to declare Mr Trump unfit to mediate peace.
Latin America also found Mr Trump’s first year a time of uncertainty.
The president had made clear in his campaign that relations with Mexico – the neighbour he characterised as a source of drugs and rapists and a thief of jobs – would change. Mr Trump has continued in that vein, saying as recently as this month Mexico would pay for the border wall – just a day after asking Congress for $18 billion to build it.
Mr Trump’s approach to Africa has been one largely of neglect – and that insult.
Concerns emerged about the administration’s proposed cuts to foreign aid and the shift from humanitarian assistance in Africa to one of counterterror operations.
Then there was anger and astonishment over Mr Trump’s “shithole” reference about African countries.
Many Africans expressed concern Mr Trump might drag America’s reputation down with him.