The first time Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, the world woke up the next morning in a collective state of shock. Nobody expected it. Eight years later, with Trump again claiming the White House, the world is far more prepared. Foreign diplomats, particularly in Europe and Asia, have spent well over a year trying to rekindle relationships with Trump’s circle to better understand what the foreign policy goals will be during a second Trump presidency and to reiterate a desire to strengthen relations with the United States. Ultimately, though, all of this will come down Trump’s own priorities. At the top of the list is ending the war in Ukraine, which Trump clearly believes the Ukrainians can’t win and one that has sucked up about $175 billion in U.S. taxpayer money over nearly three years. Any chance of a settlement will entail some very tough conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and even tougher ones with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who remains a pariah in the West. Hard compromises will be required from each and maximalism will need to be left at the door. Whether Trump succeeds or fails—and just as importantly, how he succeeds or fails—will in part determine how impactful he will turn out to be on the international stage.
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