Trump and the new world order

To The Times

You quite rightly say that Donald Trump is being “demonised” by the Europeans. The old order of liberal trade in a globalised world collapsed in 2008. The US paid for that arrangement by providing a rule-bound trade regime that allowed the EU to run a protectionist customs union, and paid for Europe’s security. For Trump, that world has ended. The US can no longer pay for the free-riding Europeans, particularly Germany, while being lectured by them as to how the president should behave. Trump views the world not as a concert of Western powers orchestrated by the US, but as a series of bilateral relationships. It might be an idea for the world to listen to him more carefully than it is doing. Lord Desai, House of Lords

To The Times

Trump and the Italian prime minister may have a point in trying to bring Russia back into the elite club. From a negotiation/mediation perspective, it is futile to exclude the opposing side from the table. If one group wishes to be heard, the effective way is to demonstrate that they are willing to truly listen to the other group. Megaphone diplomacy is counterproductive. The world is in flux, and Trump’s shift from Western values to global values may reduce the number of “them and us” confrontations. Opposing visions are most successfully exchanged, explained and clarified in a “conducive and safe” environment. Paul Randolph, mediation course leader, Regent’s University London

To The Times

That Trump wants to bring Russia back to the table seems noble enough, but he appears to have forgotten that the expulsion of Russia was for invading Crimea. To let Russia return to the elite club without any show of contrition from President Putin would do little to improve negotiations. Rather, it would encourage the Russians to think that they are too important to be brought to account. Simon van Someren, London SW1