Before Trump won the presidency, Democratic foreign policy circles hummed with talk that an outgoing President Barack Obama could take a last stab at peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. There also was a strong expectation that Obama would push hard for Congress to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
But now that they may be at the verge of power, trump aides say obama should not even reflect onconsideration on taking such steps.
on huge, transformative problems where president obama and president-elect trump are not in alignment, i don’t assume it’s in line with the spirit of the transition ... to attempt to push through schedule items which are contrary to the president-pick’s positions, a trump national security adviser advised politico on thursday. it's no longer going to be just counterproductive, however it will additionally ship blended messages.
presidential transitions are frequently fraught, messy affairs, particularly while white house manage is switching from one political celebration to every other. (a few clinton administration officials, famously, took the "w" off their keyboards as the bush team turned into coming aboard.) outgoing presidents try and lock down their policies but they are able to, whether thru govt orders, guidelines or legislation. incoming administrations try and lay the groundwork for what they need to do without asserting open struggle on the human beings they're changing.
obama and trump met at the white house on thursday, and obama insisted: "my no. 1 precedence within the coming months is to attempt to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-pick is a hit.” trump also has been fielding congratulatory messages from foreign leaders, even the ones like canada's justin trudeau and germany's angela merkel who had signaled their discomfort with his candidacy.
however foreign policy practitioners in washington and distant places are strangely worried about the obama-to-trump handover, a truth that many had disregarded as impossible until it became clear overdue on tuesday that the republican could defeat heavily preferred democratic rival hillary clinton.
on thursday, german overseas minister frank-walter steinmeier provided a blunt warning to the incoming trump team. “we don’t recognise what we’re in for,” steinmeier advised spiegel on line. “clearly, no person can dispute that donald trump has had his fair share of no-holds-barred confrontation. however now the query could be whether or not president trump will behave the identical way as candidate trump.”
trump, officers and analysts note, has again and again shifted his technique on some overseas coverage issues, which include the iran deal and restoring ties to cuba. a number of trump’s greater definitive stances (which include his hostility to exchange offers and conciliatory stance toward russia) additionally run diametrically against established order republican idea, no longer to mention democratic options. to pinnacle all that off, there are various problems of worldwide issue about which trump has said little to not anything in any way.
“inside the beyond 24 hours, i’ve visible embassies throughout city, overseas reporters, officials in foreign capitals attaining out to every person they can discover to try to get a experience of what does trump foreign coverage seem like with regard to my u . s ., my trouble, whatever it is, due to the fact there has now not been a large quantity of detail spelled out at some stage in a campaign,” stated richard fontaine, president of the center for a brand new american protection. “the trump win become such a marvel that maximum of them had put their emphasis on looking to recognize what a clinton management might look like in place of a trump management. so now, quite some of them are caught incredibly flat-footed.”
also suffering with the new truth are the numerous employees at the state department, the pentagon and other groups that cope with overseas policy and national security. at foggy bottom, human beings had been breaking down in tears because the election, a kingdom branch professional instructed politico. minority employees specially are concerned about how they may be handled beneath a trump management after a marketing campaign wherein the republican actual property wealthy person called for a ban on muslim immigrants and drew plaudits from white nationalists.
in the coming weeks, a lot of those officers will meet with participants of trump's transition team to assist prepare them for the severa challenges beforehand on the worldwide front, no longer the least of which is a middle east on hearth and an increasingly more assertive russia and china. because many had predicted a democrat-to-democrat transition, they are now thinking the way to lay out their reasoning and regulations to a group with hugely special views. some even view it as an extraordinary opportunity to reshape the views of trump and his aides.
we're asking ourselves: are we going a good way to have some have an impact on on the transition crew or now not? there may be so much unknown. no person definitely is aware of these humans,” the nation respectable stated. "i’m no longer certain i want to sense defensive approximately what we are operating on, but i suppose it’s crucial to explain it, and give an explanation for alternatives, and to be inclined to explore options. our activity is, as a lot as we will, not to pull punches. it is to lay out the realities to the new political management for you to make selections.
possibly nowhere are more adjustments predicted than on u.s. coverage on russia.
trump's tackle russia is some distance more dovish that that of many main individuals of his very own birthday party — including his vice president-go with, mike pence. trump has said he'd like to get along side russian president vladimir putin, and russian officials have said they had been in touch with trump's advisers at some stage in the u.s. presidential campaign. as a result, the russian authorities, which used its kingdom-subsidized media apparatus to strengthen trump’s candidacy, will probable wait out the obama management on a number of crucial subjects.
that means there may be actually no risk of a peace deal or even a meaningful quit-fire anytime quickly in syria, in which russians are backing syrian president bashar assad inside the combat in opposition to u.s.-supported revolt businesses. even underneath obama, russia has been unwilling to meet u.s. demands for a truce or increased humanitarian get admission to to besieged syrians.
there also is a sturdy likelihood that trump will not aid continuing u.s. or eu sanctions on russia over its invasion of ukraine. the european union is in all likelihood to renew its sanctions on russia later this year sanctions the obama administration is pressing the europeans to keep up no matter their financial ties to moscow. however if trump might not lower back the identical coverage, why must the eu renew the consequences after they expire later on?
trump's hostility to exchange offers has alarmed other nations nicely as the private area, and each already are thinking about a way to deal with a united states that is now not absolutely open for business. mexican former president vicente fox, who vigorously adversarial trump's candidacy, mused in a post-election column that his country the united states's 0.33-biggest trading associate should take the "opportunity to explore what other nations ought to provide. we can create alternate agreements with south the united states, china, india and europe." and despite what the obama management says in those final months, the incoming president's view will count number plenty greater to agencies that think and invest long time.
the u.s.-led combat towards the islamic country in syria and iraq will probable preserve in the very last months of the obama management, and trump who has talked hard but vaguely on combating terrorism — may not change that policy. but, his isolationist streak has alarmed countries including afghanistan, in which lots of u.s. troops are still assisting afghan troops combating the taliban. upon hearing of trump's victory, the taliban called on him to withdraw those american troops. in a comparable vein, trump's suggestion that the u.s. may not honor its alliances to fellow nato members unless they spend greater on defense has alarmed japanese european states involved approximately russian aggression.
the trump national protection adviser insisted that the president-select's transition team doesn't anticipate the u.s. bureaucracy to quit functioning for the duration of these final months, in particular if it method handling technical troubles on guidelines that already are in region. the machinery of presidency is going to should hold grinding as high-quality it may, he stated. however obama and his aides shouldn't move in search of new adventures or pushing thru policies that without a doubt do not fit trump's positions, he brought.
that includes efforts to convey peace to the israelis and palestinians even though those projects are symbolic at satisfactory. trump, for one, has made it very clear he'll help israel and its options. a put up-election assertion by way of trump's advisers on israel said, "a -nation solution among israel and the palestinians appears not possible so long as the palestinians are unwilling to renounce violence towards israel or understand israel’s proper to exist as a jewish state.
israel staunchly opposes any flow by obama to at ease a u.n. safety council decision seen as opposed to israeli interests — in particular if he requested other global powers to embrace u.s.-drafted parameters for a -country solution. it's a totally fragile time, and, in keeping with an israeli authentic, this type of pass could constitute a "dagger within the heart" of the peace procedure — possibly forever.
the respectable, who asked no longer to be identified, said that israel is mainly worried that obama would make such a move within the occasion that trump won the election.
obama administration officers probable will do the entirety they can to preserve the integrity of the iran nuclear deal, however that is one region wherein trump can singlehandedly undermine all of their efforts. the deal relies on a u.s. president waiving certain sanctions on iran as long as the u . s . avoids pursuing nuclear guns. trump, who went from announcing he'd bear in mind renegotiating a deal to promising to dismantle it, ought to in reality reimpose sanctions and scuttle the deal.
trump also ought to reverse obama's decision to restore diplomatic ties to cuba. as a candidate, he stated he supported the reopening to the communist-led island. however toward the stop of his marketing campaign, for you to appeal to difficult-line cuban-people in florida, trump promised to "cancel" the rapprochement. since a lot of the diplomatic re-beginning relied on government orders, it won't be difficult for trump to undo.
with this type of massive trade coming to washington, there is no question that a number of the united states's allies and adversaries will maintain off making primary choices associated with the u.s. until the brand new president is sworn in. in many methods, that is a traditional symptom of any transition. but few assume this transition to be a traditional one.
on huge, transformative problems where president obama and president-elect trump are not in alignment, i don’t assume it’s in line with the spirit of the transition ... to attempt to push through schedule items which are contrary to the president-pick’s positions, a trump national security adviser advised politico on thursday. it's no longer going to be just counterproductive, however it will additionally ship blended messages.
presidential transitions are frequently fraught, messy affairs, particularly while white house manage is switching from one political celebration to every other. (a few clinton administration officials, famously, took the "w" off their keyboards as the bush team turned into coming aboard.) outgoing presidents try and lock down their policies but they are able to, whether thru govt orders, guidelines or legislation. incoming administrations try and lay the groundwork for what they need to do without asserting open struggle on the human beings they're changing.
obama and trump met at the white house on thursday, and obama insisted: "my no. 1 precedence within the coming months is to attempt to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-pick is a hit.” trump also has been fielding congratulatory messages from foreign leaders, even the ones like canada's justin trudeau and germany's angela merkel who had signaled their discomfort with his candidacy.
however foreign policy practitioners in washington and distant places are strangely worried about the obama-to-trump handover, a truth that many had disregarded as impossible until it became clear overdue on tuesday that the republican could defeat heavily preferred democratic rival hillary clinton.
on thursday, german overseas minister frank-walter steinmeier provided a blunt warning to the incoming trump team. “we don’t recognise what we’re in for,” steinmeier advised spiegel on line. “clearly, no person can dispute that donald trump has had his fair share of no-holds-barred confrontation. however now the query could be whether or not president trump will behave the identical way as candidate trump.”
trump, officers and analysts note, has again and again shifted his technique on some overseas coverage issues, which include the iran deal and restoring ties to cuba. a number of trump’s greater definitive stances (which include his hostility to exchange offers and conciliatory stance toward russia) additionally run diametrically against established order republican idea, no longer to mention democratic options. to pinnacle all that off, there are various problems of worldwide issue about which trump has said little to not anything in any way.
“inside the beyond 24 hours, i’ve visible embassies throughout city, overseas reporters, officials in foreign capitals attaining out to every person they can discover to try to get a experience of what does trump foreign coverage seem like with regard to my u . s ., my trouble, whatever it is, due to the fact there has now not been a large quantity of detail spelled out at some stage in a campaign,” stated richard fontaine, president of the center for a brand new american protection. “the trump win become such a marvel that maximum of them had put their emphasis on looking to recognize what a clinton management might look like in place of a trump management. so now, quite some of them are caught incredibly flat-footed.”
also suffering with the new truth are the numerous employees at the state department, the pentagon and other groups that cope with overseas policy and national security. at foggy bottom, human beings had been breaking down in tears because the election, a kingdom branch professional instructed politico. minority employees specially are concerned about how they may be handled beneath a trump management after a marketing campaign wherein the republican actual property wealthy person called for a ban on muslim immigrants and drew plaudits from white nationalists.
in the coming weeks, a lot of those officers will meet with participants of trump's transition team to assist prepare them for the severa challenges beforehand on the worldwide front, no longer the least of which is a middle east on hearth and an increasingly more assertive russia and china. because many had predicted a democrat-to-democrat transition, they are now thinking the way to lay out their reasoning and regulations to a group with hugely special views. some even view it as an extraordinary opportunity to reshape the views of trump and his aides.
we're asking ourselves: are we going a good way to have some have an impact on on the transition crew or now not? there may be so much unknown. no person definitely is aware of these humans,” the nation respectable stated. "i’m no longer certain i want to sense defensive approximately what we are operating on, but i suppose it’s crucial to explain it, and give an explanation for alternatives, and to be inclined to explore options. our activity is, as a lot as we will, not to pull punches. it is to lay out the realities to the new political management for you to make selections.
possibly nowhere are more adjustments predicted than on u.s. coverage on russia.
trump's tackle russia is some distance more dovish that that of many main individuals of his very own birthday party — including his vice president-go with, mike pence. trump has said he'd like to get along side russian president vladimir putin, and russian officials have said they had been in touch with trump's advisers at some stage in the u.s. presidential campaign. as a result, the russian authorities, which used its kingdom-subsidized media apparatus to strengthen trump’s candidacy, will probable wait out the obama management on a number of crucial subjects.
that means there may be actually no risk of a peace deal or even a meaningful quit-fire anytime quickly in syria, in which russians are backing syrian president bashar assad inside the combat in opposition to u.s.-supported revolt businesses. even underneath obama, russia has been unwilling to meet u.s. demands for a truce or increased humanitarian get admission to to besieged syrians.
there also is a sturdy likelihood that trump will not aid continuing u.s. or eu sanctions on russia over its invasion of ukraine. the european union is in all likelihood to renew its sanctions on russia later this year sanctions the obama administration is pressing the europeans to keep up no matter their financial ties to moscow. however if trump might not lower back the identical coverage, why must the eu renew the consequences after they expire later on?
trump's hostility to exchange offers has alarmed other nations nicely as the private area, and each already are thinking about a way to deal with a united states that is now not absolutely open for business. mexican former president vicente fox, who vigorously adversarial trump's candidacy, mused in a post-election column that his country the united states's 0.33-biggest trading associate should take the "opportunity to explore what other nations ought to provide. we can create alternate agreements with south the united states, china, india and europe." and despite what the obama management says in those final months, the incoming president's view will count number plenty greater to agencies that think and invest long time.
the u.s.-led combat towards the islamic country in syria and iraq will probable preserve in the very last months of the obama management, and trump who has talked hard but vaguely on combating terrorism — may not change that policy. but, his isolationist streak has alarmed countries including afghanistan, in which lots of u.s. troops are still assisting afghan troops combating the taliban. upon hearing of trump's victory, the taliban called on him to withdraw those american troops. in a comparable vein, trump's suggestion that the u.s. may not honor its alliances to fellow nato members unless they spend greater on defense has alarmed japanese european states involved approximately russian aggression.
the trump national protection adviser insisted that the president-select's transition team doesn't anticipate the u.s. bureaucracy to quit functioning for the duration of these final months, in particular if it method handling technical troubles on guidelines that already are in region. the machinery of presidency is going to should hold grinding as high-quality it may, he stated. however obama and his aides shouldn't move in search of new adventures or pushing thru policies that without a doubt do not fit trump's positions, he brought.
that includes efforts to convey peace to the israelis and palestinians even though those projects are symbolic at satisfactory. trump, for one, has made it very clear he'll help israel and its options. a put up-election assertion by way of trump's advisers on israel said, "a -nation solution among israel and the palestinians appears not possible so long as the palestinians are unwilling to renounce violence towards israel or understand israel’s proper to exist as a jewish state.
israel staunchly opposes any flow by obama to at ease a u.n. safety council decision seen as opposed to israeli interests — in particular if he requested other global powers to embrace u.s.-drafted parameters for a -country solution. it's a totally fragile time, and, in keeping with an israeli authentic, this type of pass could constitute a "dagger within the heart" of the peace procedure — possibly forever.
the respectable, who asked no longer to be identified, said that israel is mainly worried that obama would make such a move within the occasion that trump won the election.
obama administration officers probable will do the entirety they can to preserve the integrity of the iran nuclear deal, however that is one region wherein trump can singlehandedly undermine all of their efforts. the deal relies on a u.s. president waiving certain sanctions on iran as long as the u . s . avoids pursuing nuclear guns. trump, who went from announcing he'd bear in mind renegotiating a deal to promising to dismantle it, ought to in reality reimpose sanctions and scuttle the deal.
trump also ought to reverse obama's decision to restore diplomatic ties to cuba. as a candidate, he stated he supported the reopening to the communist-led island. however toward the stop of his marketing campaign, for you to appeal to difficult-line cuban-people in florida, trump promised to "cancel" the rapprochement. since a lot of the diplomatic re-beginning relied on government orders, it won't be difficult for trump to undo.
with this type of massive trade coming to washington, there is no question that a number of the united states's allies and adversaries will maintain off making primary choices associated with the u.s. until the brand new president is sworn in. in many methods, that is a traditional symptom of any transition. but few assume this transition to be a traditional one.