I assessed U.S. President Trump’s dispute with Ukrainian President Zelensky for İstiklal Gazetesi:
Constantly in the headlines for his rhetoric and actions since becoming president of the United States, Donald Trump caused perhaps his biggest scandal during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. After the pair’s argument in front of the cameras, far removed from diplomatic language, Zelensky left the U.S. without signing the minerals deal.
THE MONROE DOCTRINE CANNOT BE APPLIED IN THIS ERA
Noting that the foreign policy initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump is reminiscent of the doctrinal foreign policy of James Monroe, the fifth U.S. president, Sirene explained why this policy cannot be applied today: “The Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed in 1823 by James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States, rested on the principle that Europe and the American continents should not interfere in each other’s internal affairs. Trump’s foreign policy carries traces of this doctrine. His message to Europeans — especially on NATO spending — to ‘take care of your own security’, and his attempts to reduce America’s global commitments, are part of this isolationist approach. However, fully applying the Monroe Doctrine in the 21st century is very difficult. The economic, military and political ties between the U.S. and Europe have been intertwined for centuries. It is hard for the U.S., NATO’s biggest funder, to sustain its global strategy without its military bases in Europe. Moreover, transatlantic trade relations are enormous; in 2023 alone, U.S.–EU trade volume exceeded one trillion dollars. More importantly, ignoring Europe’s strategic importance could allow China to expand its global influence. Europe drifting away from the U.S. and building closer economic ties with China could make it harder for Washington to preserve the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific. However much Trump acts under the ‘America First’ slogan, completely writing off Europe is realistic neither economically nor geopolitically.”
ZELENSKY INSISTS NOT ON WAR BUT ON TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
Stressing that, contrary to popular belief, Ukrainian President Zelensky does not want to prolong the war, Öznur Sirene explained that the basis of his insistence is preserving Ukraine’s territorial integrity: “Zelensky’s stance on continuing the war rests on the strategy of protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity. If the war were to end under current conditions, Ukraine would lose control over Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, which would consolidate Russia’s victory in the region. Moreover, Ukraine and its backers believe that a war ending in Russia’s favour would not remain confined to Ukraine. Poland and the Baltic states in particular fear that if Moscow succeeds in Ukraine, it could take bolder steps against the West. That is why slogans such as ‘Kyiv today, Paris or Berlin tomorrow’ are frequently voiced in Western public opinion.”
Source: İstiklal
