Donald Trump is often criticized for his blunt style. But on one point, he says out loud what many do in silence: international relations are first and foremost about transactions, power dynamics, and well-understood interests.
Where his predecessors, like Barack Obama, disguised compromises behind rhetoric of “responsible diplomacy” or an “international order based on rules,” Trump removes the mask. He openly admits the world is a vast marketplace. Every deal must pay off, whether it involves strategic minerals in Africa, geopolitical influence in the Middle East, or winning alliances.
Obama: The Same Logic, Better Packaged
Contrary to what one might think, this vision did not start with Trump. Under Obama, American foreign policy followed the same lines: defending economic interests, maintaining hegemony, and securing spheres of influence. But it did so with gloves on.
Back then, the discourse centered on multilateralism, human rights, and “smart power,” a strategy that combines soft influence and targeted force. Behind the speeches, the reality was colder: drone strikes in the Middle East, intervention in Libya, negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to counter China.
Trump only strips away the false appearance, the disguise. He speaks bluntly. He negotiates bluntly.
Deals First, Even for Peace
A recent example: the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It might look like a diplomatic victory. In reality, it is a maneuver to counter China’s influence over rare minerals, cobalt, lithium, coltan, essential for our technologies.
Under the guise of mediation, Washington aims to regain control of strategic resources. Peace becomes a lever of economic influence, not a moral or lasting goal. For more information, see the article: Critical Minerals, a New Geopolitical Issue in Africa.
Israel, Iran, and War as a Negotiation Tool
The same logic applies to US military support for Israel in its standoff with Iran. Behind the strikes and threats lies a tacit deal. Washington strengthens its ally in the Middle East and pushes Tehran back to the negotiation table, but on its terms.
War becomes a bargaining chip: a tool to strengthen US influence in the Middle East and simultaneously shape a domestic power balance that could justify institutional reforms paving the way for a possible third candidacy. With a disoriented Democratic Party undermined by Kamala Harris’s failure to establish herself as a credible alternative, Trump appears to be laying the groundwork.
A Clear Message to Moscow, Beijing, New Delhi — and the World
In doing so, the Trump administration sends a signal to other great powers: the rules of the game have changed. No more universal values, no grand declarations on human rights. America acts according to its interests, directly and sometimes brutally.
It’s a message to China, Russia, India: in this transactional world, you must pay to play. There is no more façade, no convenient multilateralism. Only the law of geopolitical return on investment.
Short-Term Diplomacy
This pragmatism shows elsewhere. Gaza, Ukraine? For now, on hold. Not out of indifference, but because no quick deal is in sight. Conversely, Trump moves where a fast solution can pay off: rapid ceasefires in the Balkans, ad hoc mediation in Africa, opportunistic rapprochements in the Middle East.
This approach turns American diplomacy into ad hoc management. No long-term vision, only a strategy of immediate profitability. Similar to: “ROA — and give me my money back!” – the iconic and uncompromising declaration Margaret Thatcher made in the heat of the British-EU negotiations.
Risks for Tomorrow
By treating conflicts as negotiable products, by applying temporary fixes to deep fractures, we risk building an unstable, fragmented world where every truce is only a reprieve.
These quick agreements may calm things in the short term, but what remains once the cameras are gone? What will be solid and credible when the spotlights go out?
The Uncomfortable Truth
It’s easy to reject Trump outright, to criticize his methods as brutal, chaotic, and opportunistic. He dominates the international stage while his counterparts are absorbed by ultra-conformist, bureaucratic administrations. Yet the reality is more nuanced. Trump did not invent transactional diplomacy; he simply revealed it openly. Where others acted in the shadows, he speaks loudly and clearly.
The real question isn’t whether this approach is shocking – it is. But whether we can build lasting peace on a logic of deals. And when the frenzy of transactions subsides, who will be left to pick up the pieces?
History offers a major warning. In the 1930s, short-term compromises, power games, and unstable balances led to catastrophic escalation, plunging the world into devastating conflict. Today, more than ever, we must avoid repeating those mistakes. The temptation of cold, transactional, pragmatic diplomacy must not make us lose sight of the imperative for lasting peace, built on solid, human, and collective foundations.
A Tragic Dimension in Israel-Palestine
In this regard, Israel’s actions in its confrontation with the Palestinians take on a tragic dimension that cannot be ignored: they resemble genocide, with dramatic consequences for an already vulnerable population. Europe, with its painful history and awareness of its own guilt regarding past tragedies, must free itself from its moral and political chains. Only by fully embracing this critical role, by unequivocally denouncing violations of fundamental rights, can Europe truly play a constructive role and assert itself as a global leader compared to the powers entrenched elsewhere.
It is not only a matter of condemnation but a call for a strong, independent European diplomacy, free from short-term power games (internal), capable of demanding justice and respect for human rights. To truly move forward, Europe must overcome its hesitations, fears, and historical burden, break away from its tendency to normalize and lower standards, in order to become a credible actor promoting a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
If we do not want the cycle of tensions and conflicts to spiral again, it is urgent that the international community rethink its approach beyond mere deals and invest in long-term solutions based on trust, justice, and genuine cooperation.