The wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the main targets of Trump's foreign policy

2024-11-12 18:10:12, Kosova & Bota CNA

Beyond promising to pursue an America-first policy, President-elect Donald Trump has not detailed the foreign policy of his incoming administration. As VOA correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports, his first talks with international leaders after winning the election show he intends to follow through on promises to quickly end conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Russian aggression in Ukraine will be the first targets of Washington's foreign policy when Mr. Trump returns to the White House.

"Nothing will prevent me from keeping my promises. We will make America safe, strong, prosperous, powerful and free again," said President-elect Trump.

His term begins on January 20, but he has already spoken to world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Moscow denies reports that Mr. Trump has also spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President-elect Trump campaigned on a promise to end the wars quickly. Analysts say he wants to deliver results as soon as possible.

"When it comes to the Middle East, I think in some ways, the message will be 'hurry up and end this war.' The message for Ukraine will be 'stop,'" says analyst Charles Kupchan.

Mr. Trump has never explained how he will stop the wars, but he often criticizes the billions of dollars in American aid going to Ukraine. A quick end to the war could mean major concessions from Kiev, something President Zelensky says is unlikely to happen.

"We want a fair end to this war. I am sure that a quick end to the war will mean defeat," says President Zelensky.

With North Korea sending troops to help Moscow, the war in Ukraine could have wider geopolitical implications at a time of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

President-elect Trump must also deal with Israel, which appears focused on achieving maximalist goals rather than a ceasefire, not only with Hamas in Gaza but also with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the war's second front. Both groups have the support of Iran.

"We see the Iranian threat as present in all its elements and the danger it poses. We also see the great opportunities before Israel in the field of peace and its expansion," says Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel.

President-elect Trump promised to be tough on trade, especially against China. In his congratulatory message to Mr Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "stable, healthy and continuous" ties.

"Xi Jinping pointed out that history has shown that China and the United States benefit from cooperation and suffer consequences from confrontation," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.

President-elect Trump also promised to crack down on immigration, vowing to deport en masse immigrants who have entered the United States illegally. On Monday, he named Tom Homan, who has served as director of the agency responsible for the enforcement of immigration laws (ICE), as the person responsible for immigration in the next administration./ VOA