{"id":59194,"date":"2018-05-02T18:32:40","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T18:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/02\/revealed-the-trump-version-of-international-diplomacy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:26:08","slug":"revealed-the-trump-version-of-international-diplomacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/opinion\/2018\/05\/02\/revealed-the-trump-version-of-international-diplomacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: The Trump version of \r\ninternational diplomacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

President Donald Trump\u2019s relationship with the world<\/a> has been complicated<\/a> from the beginning. Strained, tense, tumultuous, forced, awkward. It\u2019s sometimes a little painful to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as the Trump doctrine begins to transition from solely inflammatory tweets and grandstanding to actual policy, there are some hints that perhaps the global community just might have some opportunity to benefit from the approach of the so-called negotiator in chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world learned pretty quickly after Trump took office that the former real estate mogul does not play by the more typical playbook of presidential diplomacy used by both Republicans and Democrats alike. Obviously, some commanders in chief lean more heavily on global humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts than others \u2014 often cherished among the international community as a result. But pretty universally, those in the Oval Office treat allies big and small like the rest of us treat our relatives: Some are obvious favorites with similar likes and priorities, while others seem to make a slew of bad decisions with everyone else left to clean up the mess. But you pick your battles and choose words carefully to keep the peace. Who really wants an awkward family gathering?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly in terms of politics, that\u2019s not Trump. He came into office railing about NATO allies not ponying up their fair share, touting the America First policy, withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement and threatening to do so from the North American Free Trade Agreement if terms were not negotiated to his liking. He had his reasons in all cases, with some earning more support than others. But suddenly protectionism and nationalism were being used to describe the agenda of the American president. The U.S. was no longer seen as the leader of the free world, at least not from a diplomatic perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the last month or so brings some interesting twists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, after months of rumors, the Trump administration rolled out a new set of guidelines for conventional arms transfers and unmanned systems, essentially loosening export restrictions<\/a> most substantially for drones. Days later, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that it is reducing a surcharge on American defense goods<\/a> sold abroad from 3.5 percent to 3.2 percent, effectively dropping the price foreign nations have to pay when buying weapons through the Foreign Military Sales system.<\/p>\n\n\n\t