One world connected: Trump's team strengthens contacts with the Global South
The new American administration is more actively interacting with the countries of the Global South in the first days of its work, Izvestia has found out. This is evidenced by the first telephone conversations between Donald Trump and the head of the State Department Marco Rubio after the inauguration. In particular, they contacted representatives of China, India, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Israel. Notably, the first contacts of former President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken were mostly with key allies, including Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. The actions of Trump's new team are similar to his first administration - he may travel to Saudi Arabia again after taking office. What do the international contacts of the new US administration say - in the material of "Izvestia".
The first international calls of the Trump administration
The first steps of the new US administration in foreign policy already signal a departure from the strategy of the former leadership in the person of Joe Biden, focused on Western alliances. The actions of Donald Trump's team demonstrate a turn towards the Global South. As Izvestia found out, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have prioritized working with China, India, Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Israel in their first diplomatic contacts. This contrasts with the Biden team's first ties with the States' traditional NATO partners such as Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as with Asia-Pacific allies Japan and South Korea.
Notable is Trump's first conversation with a foreign leader - Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Thus, the US president intended to expand the Abraham Accords (a treaty to normalize Israel's relations with Bahrain, Morocco, the UAE, etc.) with a treaty to normalize Israel's relations with Bahrain, Morocco, the UAE, and so on. - Ed.) with a normalization treaty between Israel and Saudi Arabia. During the past conversation, the Crown Prince told Trump that he wants to increase Saudi investment in the U.S. to $600 billion. Trump took this positively and even admitted that his first foreign visit might be to the kingdom. "The first visit there was when they agreed to buy billions of dollars worth of American goods. If the offer was favorable, I would do it again," - said the White House head commenting on his visit to Saudi Arabia in the first term. By the way, it was his first official foreign trip.
Donald Trump spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, Jordan's King Abdullah II, as well as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer - this, incidentally, is the only Western leader with whom Trump has contacted in the first nine days of his presidency. This is not surprising, though, as London is one of Washington's most important traditional allies. And in addition to Saudi Arabia, Trump's first visit to the United Kingdom may also take place for the same reason.
Former White House chief of staff Joe Biden held his first telephone contacts with representatives of Canada, the UK, Japan, South Korea, as well as communicating with the NATO Secretary General. Among the first people the Democrat called was Russia. However, it should be emphasized that the relations between the two countries, although they were in crisis at the time, were not as tense as they have been since the conflict in Ukraine unfolded. Since the beginning of the special operation, Biden and Putin have not had a single contact. At the same time, Trump has repeatedly stated that he is ready to meet with the Russian president to seek a settlement of the Ukrainian issue. Vladimir Putin has confirmed readiness on his part as well.
The new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio adheres to a similar foreign policy course. He spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Kenyan President William Root and head of Eurodiplomacy Kaya Kallas. In the conversation with the representative of the Western camp, the main topic was expectedly the conflict in Ukraine, but from a completely different angle. In particular, Rubio and Kallas agreed to maintain pressure on Russia, but they did not discuss increasing support for Kiev to continue fighting. On the contrary, they talked about the prospects for a peaceful settlement, which is in line with the rhetoric of the new U.S. administration.
A completely different tactic was chosen by Rubio's predecessor Anthony Blinken, who first of all honored the representatives of the Western camp - Canada, Japan, South Korea. He also called on Mexico, but that was likely due to the dismal state of U.S.-Mexican relations after Trump's four years in office and his migration policy. The Biden administration then rescinded some of Trump's executive orders regarding migrants.
The new U.S. administration's foreign policy agenda
The Trump administration's focus on the South appears to be due to US geopolitical competition and economic pragmatism. Engagement with India and Saudi Arabia in a sense creates a counterbalance to China's growing influence, which Beijing has been building up, for example through an initiative such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
India, including as a member of QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue consisting of the US, Japan, Australia and India. - Ed.), represents a regional counterweight to China and is critical to U.S. strategy in the Asia-Pacific. Saudi Arabia remains the linchpin of U.S. energy security and a potential facilitator of stability in the Middle East, especially amid ongoing tensions in U.S. relations with Iran.
Notably, the new administration's contacts with Kenya underscore Africa's growing strategic importance. With China and Russia deepening ties with countries on the continent, it is critical for the U.S. to regain economic and diplomatic leverage in this growing market. Israel's presence among the Trump administration's first contacts underscores the countries' longstanding security partnership, but also hints at the Republican's intention to pursue a policy of normalizing Israel's relations with the Arab world.
Trump's actions today are similar to his policies during his first term and are in line with his stated principle of "America First." Bilateral deals are being prioritized, while multilateral ties are being relegated to the background. Thus, the Republican has already managed to issue decrees on withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, from the WHO, and continued to "blackmail" NATO, demanding that member countries increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Biden relied on various alliances, including those of a military nature. For example, AUKUS (a defense alliance of the United States, Great Britain and Australia) was created under his leadership. In fact, the Democrat was engaged in strengthening NATO and Asian alliances to confront Russia and China, based on a supposedly common ideology. And Trump's team seems to value quick economic gains above all else. The risk, however, is alienating European partners, who may see the US radical attitude toward traditional alliances as a destabilizing factor.
All the negative statements of the US president about NATO, as well as Marco Rubio's arguments about the failure of the liberal order may indicate that Trump is promoting the construction of a new structure of the world order, says Vladimir Vasiliev, chief researcher at ISKRAN.
- The old model is being replaced by a new one, which consists not in the traditional rivalry between the great powers and the US, but in their cooperation. It wants to build an alliance of great states - the United States, China, India, Russia, and maybe other countries. And this new configuration, although it implies possible rivalry and competition, is still focused on pragmatic relations that will benefit everyone. At the same time, of course, Washington wants to retain some kind of leadership," Vladimir Vasilyev told Izvestia.
In this regard, the United States may be seriously concerned about new associations that are formed without its participation. For example, BRICS openly declares its desire to build a new fair world order and continues to attract like-minded people. Against this background, Washington may try to undermine or disintegrate BRICS or at least make a kind of American-style BRICS, summarized Vladimir Vasiliev.
It is worth noting that the administration's efforts to move toward the Global South are not without pitfalls. Interaction with China and simultaneous rivalry with it is a difficult task. India, although it remains a strategic partner, pursues an independent foreign policy, including buying Russian oil despite sanctions.
Thus, the policy of the new U.S. administration may bring economic or strategic victories, but at the same time is fraught with undermining trust among traditional allies. How Trump's team executes this recalibration will be watched closely by the world: will the Global South embrace America's comeback or will skepticism prevail? The answer will determine the next era of U.S. foreign policy.
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