Trump's foreign policy initiatives stall ahead of elections — Korea Herald
US President Donald Trump is facing a stalemate in key foreign policy initiatives ahead of the November midterm elections: the war with Iran has reached a dead end, while efforts to resolve the situations in Ukraine and Gaza have slowed. Korea Herald reports, citing Reuters.
Pressure of the war with Iran
Trump has ended negotiations with Tehran, although he had insisted on a diplomatic settlement for several weeks. On Wednesday, he announced a campaign of “economic warfare” against Iran. Reuters notes that this may indicate that months of military attacks have failed to secure the concessions sought by the United States.
Amid inflation and rising gasoline prices caused by the war with Iran, approval of Trump's job performance fell to 33% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. One of the president's allies, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the conflict is putting “heavy” pressure on Trump, and that there is no consensus in the White House on how to end it.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the administration had ended nine wars, secured the release of hostages from Gaza, and would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. A senior administration official also claimed that US sanctions and a naval blockade had dealt a severe blow to the Iranian economy.
Talks on Gaza and Ukraine
Washington's other peacemaking efforts have also reached an impasse. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and negotiator, concluded talks on Monday without results on advancing a peace agreement for Gaza. An expected visit by Kushner and the president's special envoy Steve Witkoff to Kyiv to intensify negotiations on ending Russia's war against Ukraine has not yet taken place.
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Despite Trump's attempts to bring the parties to the negotiating table, the Russian Federation, the aggressor state, continues its war against Ukraine. According to Reuters, 16 people were killed in the latest Russian strike on Kyiv on Thursday.
In Gaza, mediators fear that intensified Israeli strikes are complicating peace efforts, while Israel and Hamas disagree over the conditions needed to advance Trump's plan, formulated in October last year.
Risks for Republicans
Experts interviewed by Reuters note that Trump has changed the traditional US approach to diplomacy, relying on economic and military pressure, including on allies. At the same time, this approach has produced mixed results: it can bring opponents to negotiations but does not always secure lasting agreements.
Unresolved international conflicts and their economic consequences could complicate the Republican Party's position in congressional elections. Losing control of one or both chambers of Congress could significantly limit Trump's ability to advance his agenda during the final two years of his term.
