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In the past week, the US president—known for saying he puts “America First”—has been busy on the world stage, doing the opposite of staying out of foreign affairs.
His team made business deals in the Gulf, lifted sanctions on Syria, got a US citizen released from Hamas, ended airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, reduced tariffs on China, told Ukraine to talk to Russia in Turkey, and quietly continued nuclear talks with Iran. Trump even claimed to have helped stop a conflict between India and Pakistan.
The speed of these moves shocked diplomats. One ambassador in London said, “Just, wow! It’s almost impossible to keep up.”
So what does this tell us about Trump’s foreign policy? Is there a clear strategy—or just a lot happening at once?
Business, not bombs
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia gives us a clue. In a speech in Riyadh, he said he wanted “commerce not chaos” in the Middle East, a place that should export “technology not terrorism.” He imagined a world where countries do deals and make money instead of fighting wars.
During the visit, Trump signed what he said were $600 billion in deals that would help create American jobs. Some diplomats questioned the value of these deals, but many felt the show of signing them was more important than the deals themselves.
Avoiding values and lectures
Trump didn’t talk about human rights, democracy, or climate change. He made it clear he didn’t believe in telling other countries how to behave. He mocked past US presidents who tried to “build nations” or “judge foreign leaders,” saying that’s “God’s job.” His job, he said, is to “defend America.”
This hands-off approach showed again when fighting broke out between India and Pakistan. At first, the White House said it was “none of our business.” But after a while, US officials made some calls to ease tensions. Trump later claimed credit for the ceasefire, but India said it was a deal between them and Pakistan, not the US.
Trump at the center of it all
It’s now clear Trump alone is calling the shots in US foreign policy. When he lifted sanctions on Syria and met with the country’s new leader (a former jihadist), it surprised both the region and parts of his own government. The State Department had wanted to keep pressure on Syria. But Trump acted anyway—possibly as a reward for Saudi Arabia’s praise and investments.
This is how Trump often works: he makes quick decisions without much input from others. That can be bold, but also risky. He often changes his mind too.
For example, not long ago he raised tariffs on China by 145%. The Chinese hit back, markets dropped, and American companies got nervous. This week, Trump cut the tariffs down to 30%, after claiming he won some trade access in return. It followed his usual pattern: make big threats, scare others, then back down and call it a win.
But war isn’t a business deal
The same strategy doesn’t always work for conflicts. With Ukraine, Trump’s position keeps shifting. One day, he backed Europe’s plan to demand a ceasefire from Russia. The next day, when Putin suggested talks in Turkey, Trump dropped the earlier plan and backed Putin’s idea instead. A day after that, he said a deal could only happen if he met with Putin personally.
A diplomat asked, “Does he not know what he wants—or is he just looking for the fastest way out?”
Donald Trump and the Caribbean.
As Donald Trump reshapes U.S. foreign policy with bold deals, rapid reversals, and little patience for diplomacy, the English-speaking Caribbean may find itself on the sidelines—unless it plays its cards carefully.
In a whirlwind week, Trump cut tariffs on China, lifted sanctions on Syria, ended bombings in Yemen, and pushed Ukraine to talk directly with Russia. He celebrated business over values, declaring in Saudi Arabia that America wants “commerce not chaos,” and scorned past U.S. efforts to promote democracy abroad.
For Caribbean leaders, this signals a shift. The U.S. under Trump is likely to prioritize big-ticket bilateral trade deals and ignore smaller nations unless they’re seen as economically or strategically useful. That could mean fewer grants, less attention to regional security or climate aid, and little concern for democratic governance—unless it affects American business.
Those who praise Trump publicly or offer deals favorable to U.S. firms might win a quick handshake or trade perk. But the region should prepare for unpredictability. As Trump showed this week with Ukraine and China, today’s promises can vanish tomorrow.
Meanwhile, continued global market turbulence and a retreat from multilateralism could hurt Caribbean tourism and trade. For a region long used to navigating between great powers, Trump’s mercurial style poses a new kind of challenge—one driven by flattery, deal-making, and short-term wins.
Trump’s “America First” diplomacy may leave the Caribbean overlooked—unless it offers a deal he can sell back home. Meanwhile China is all-too-ready to offer infrastructure deals in the Caribbean and Central America.
Sources: BBC, Open AI.
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