October 30, 2017 Monday 10 Heshvan 5778

15:35 IST

Select Language

Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump

addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC) in Washington.(Photo by: REUTERS)

Know Comment: The Donalds foreign policy

By DAVID M.
WEINBERG
04/07/2016
Trumps worldview: Working with Russia against China and radical Islam
Despite his loss in Wisconsin this week, Donald Trump remains the front-runner for the
Republican nomination as candidate for US president.

Like it or not, his views on defense and diplomacy may soon become a matter of global import.
Its time to attempt a look at Trumps strategic worldview.

Until now, Trumps forays into foreign policy mainly have been limited to attacks on the
freeloading of other nations.

He says that European and Asian nations should uphold their own national security burdens, and
no longer expect the US to pay for their defense. And of course, Trump famously and
bombastically has demanded that Mexico pay for a border fence to halt illegal immigration.

But is there more sophisticated, substantial thinking about international affairs in the Trump
camp? Its hard to tell, because the candidate has said little himself, and he furthermore declares
himself to be non-ideological in global affairs.

He rejects any labels; he denies being isolationist, realist, conservative, liberal, internationalist or
otherwise. All he will say is that he takes a businessmans approach to the world, and that he
will know how to make deals, including with Russian President Putin.

Recently, however, Trump pulled together a fledgling team of foreign policy advisers.

Whether Trump might actually listen to such advisers or be capable of learning from them is an
open question. He brags that he is his own top expert on all matters! Nevertheless, its worth

1 of 3
 considering what these advisers are saying. One of them, the young, impressive energy expert
George Papadopoulos, was in Israel this week. Over lunch with research associates of the
Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, he expounded on what he says is Trumps prism on
global affairs.

It goes like this: Unlike President Barack Obama, who weakly attempted to reset relations with
Russia and then spent the latter part of his tenure isolating and sanctioning Russia, Donald
Trump would overtly seek serious engagement with Russia on a range of common concerns.

Trump, says Papadopoulos, sees Russian President Vladimir Putin as a responsible actor and
potential partner. After all, he says, Russia had good trade relations with European countries and
even with Turkey before recent incidents (the Russian invasion of Crimea; the Turkish shooting
down of a Russian military jet). Russia has been careful not to cross NATO lines, he adds, and
has been respectful of Israeli concerns in Syria and elsewhere, too.

China, says Papadopoulos, is the emerging superpower threat. The US and Russia must work to
counter Chinese expansionism in Asia and the Middle East. The US does not want Russia selling
advanced weapon systems to China. Therefore, a policy of isolating Russia is not sustainable.

In particular, the US and Russia share a strong interest in combating the export of radical and
violent Islam from the Middle East; to stop its spread into the Muslim republics on the borders of
Russia, into Europe, and into the Baltics. Papadopoulos believes that Trump can ally with Putin in
this regard.

Papadopoulos says that Trump certainly wouldnt view the Muslim Brotherhood regime in Turkey,
or the Shiite revolutionary regime in Iran, as stabilizing forces.

In contradistinction to Obama, a Trump administration would view the Sisi government in Egypt
as a linchpin of Middle East security, with no wistful reminiscing for the Brotherhood
government of Morsi. And Trump would take a more positive approach to the Kurds, in
recognition of the YPGs lead role in combating ISIS and building regional stability.

Papadopoulos rejects the notion that Trump would leave the Middle East, although he doesnt
deny that the US relationship with Gulf states inevitably will undergo change because of
Americans newly attained status as a net energy exporter, which reduces its dependence on
Gulf oil.

He says that the US would remain committed to preventing any disruption of oil supply from the
Middle East, because this is still important for the global economy.

And he believes that the Saudis themselves understand the need to reform their economy and
transform the US-Saudi business relationship beyond its no-longer-central oil basis.

Papadopoulos refers to Trumps prepared speech on Mideast policy to the recent AIPAC policy
conference as evidence that, as Trump emerges atop the Republican field, the candidate is
capable and willing to shoot less from the hip, and offer a more considered articulation of views
on foreign policy matters.

2 of 3
 He was at pains to dismiss Trumps offthe- cuff remark about Israel needing to pay for its aid
from the US. Donald Trump is absolutely committed to maintaining Israels qualitative military
edge as a cornerstone of American policy and US-Israel relations, Papadopoulos insists.

Israel needs and deserves this.

Israel needs to be strong, says Papadopoulos, and America needs to be strong.

Call our policy Peace through Strength. So there you have it. Trump, according this adviser,
thinks that he can work with Russia against China and radical Islam; that he can renegotiate the
basis of Americas relationship with Europe, the Gulf and Asian countries without this being
considered American retrenchment; that he can cut foreign assistance and perhaps spending on
the US military abroad without this being viewed as American weakness or isolationism; that he
can make America great again by applying a business fairdeal- making model to global
statecraft.

Im skeptical that squaring all these circles is possible, and especially doubtful of the notion that
Putin will cooperate with the US in checking China or radical Islam.

I failed to hear how Trump would handle the Russian intervention in Syria, or a Russian move in
the Baltics. I also heard no explanation of the contradictions in Trumps pronouncements on the
nuclear deal with Iran. Would he rip up the accord, or seek to enforce all its terms? He
nonsensically said both in his AIPAC speech.

Nor did I hear any dialing-back of the ridiculous Trump boast that he could get an Israeli-
Palestinian deal in a flash. I hope that the candidates advisers will be teaching Trump that an
overly enthusiastic and opinionated America has only made peacemaking in the Middle East
more difficult over the past two decades.

But it is interesting and refreshing to hear that, beyond the bullying rhetoric, bigoted swagger and
chauvinist bravado, Trump has somewhat of a prism on world affairs, and that there are some
reasonably informed people trying to advise him.

www.davidmweinberg.com

JPost.com: Arab-Israeli Conflict | Israel News | Diaspora | Middle East | Opinion | Premium | Blogs | Not Just News |
Edition Francaise | Green Israel
About Us | Advertise with Us | Subscribe | RSS

Copyright 2014 Jpost Inc. All rights reserved

Terms of Use Privacy Policy

3 of 3