Diplomacy and deplorability: Is America falling off the world stage?

I tend not to write about foreign affairs, diplomacy, or how we get along with other countries, chiefly because there is more room for getting things spectacularly wrong, and greater scope for, forgive me, f*cking things up. This time, however, I am choosing to write because that is what has just happened.

The series of meetings that took place in the Oval Office this past week has shown that the Trump administration is most certainly not an ally of Europe, let alone Ukraine. The contempt with which President Zelensky was treated is a textbook example of how not to ‘do diplomacy’, even with someone whose politics you do not necessarily agree with. I’m no expert, but dressing down a fellow world leader, in front of the world’s media, is not the way to go about making friends on the world stage and bolstering your reputation as the ‘negotiator’. What I do have however is a literal expert in diplomacy on my phone. Antony Stokes LVO OBE, in his comments on the recent situation, points to the need by Europe of the US as an ally, and that, currently, we are not fully prepared for self-defence with our friend across the pond. 

While this may be true, the hat that our friend is currently wearing is orange and loud and we don’t like it. JD Vance took it upon himself to prime the charge and asked the war leader whether he had once said “Have you said thank you once?”. Trump followed up with: 

Do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?

During the grenade-throwing in the Oval Office it was clear that a) the Trump administration is dramatically misinformed about Russia’s violation of Ukraine; or b) they are worse than we thought (the only time they will exceed our expectations I think) and are deliberately choosing to ignore the facts. Sam Greene of King’s College London says that this was deliberate, and “a train wreck by design”.

President Macron, who had the privilege(?) of being in the Oval Office just a day earlier than Zelensky, later said this following the showdown between Eastern and Western presidents: 

Russia is the aggressor, and Ukraine is the aggressed people … These are simple things, but they’re good to remember at times like these.

Facts aside. My favourite part of the drama was provided by Brian Glenn. The host of ‘Real America’s Voice’, and husband to Marjorie Taylor Greene (make of that what you will),asked Zelensky why he didn’t wear a suit to the White House – Why don’t you wear a suit? Do you own a suit?  You’re the highest level in this country’s office and you refuse to wear a suit. Just want to see if you, do you own a suit? A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the dignity of his office.

I think the reason that the President of Ukraine, which, in case anyone has forgotten, is at war, didn’t dress up for his dressing-down, is because all dignity left the White House when Trump arrived for his second term. It’s hard to respect an office when the occupant of it disgraces both its name and history – and that’s with competition like Buchanan! 

Returning to actual politics – serious-faced. I am happy to see that not all Americans are looking at this the Trump way. Bret Stephens in the New York Times writes on the mineral deal that has been imposed on Ukraine by the US Treasury Department: 

If Roosevelt had told Churchill to sue for peace on any terms with Adolf Hitler and to fork over Britain’s coal reserves to the United States in exchange for no American security guarantees, it might have approximated what Trump did to Zelensky. Whatever one might say about how Zelensky played his cards poorly – either by failing to behave with the degree of all-fours sycophancy that Trump demands or to maintain his composure in the face of JD Vance’s disingenuous provocations – this was a day of American infamy.

I am glad our Prime Minister has renewed the UK’s commitment to the cause of freedom and sovereignty in Ukraine. Despite our political differences, I am glad we have an adult representing us on the global stage. I am confident that, if we look to our allies in Europe, we can prepare ourselves for the darker times that lie ahead.