“All I’ve done all my life is deals,” US President Donald Trump told the Gaza peace summit, going on to say “maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all”. Trump has cultivated his image on being the greatest deal-maker, a legacy central to his identity as a business tycoon and now fundamental to his reputation as a world leader.
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The ceasefire in Gaza has been framed as a crowning achievement in this repertoire. “Together we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible, but at long last, we have peace in the Middle East,” Trump said.
Now Trump is endeavouring to top this achievement by attempting to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Only three days after addressing world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh, Trump announced he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. His objective is simple: “We gotta get that one done.”
Can the same strategy used in the Middle East work with Russia. Can it work with China, the United States’ greatest geopolitical rival?
Trump’s diplomatic approach reflects his “America first” world view. American exceptionalism, which places a moral burden on the US to defend freedom and democracy globally, has been replaced with an amoral business mindset which prioritises the best deal for America. It is amoral in the Machiavellian sense, disregarding intrinsic value and regarding all issues only in terms of their cumulative utility. As a consequence, Trump’s foreign policy is freed of moral non-negotiables, enabling him to apply maximum pressure to gain acceptance of his deal.
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Trump’s approach to Iran focused on the 2015 nuclear agreement, which he called the “worst deal”. Trump wanted to compel Tehran to accept a deal more in favour of the US, even if this required the use of force. His message to Tehran was consistent: take a deal or face the consequences. However, Trump also pressured Israel – when Israel looked likely to violate a ceasefire with Iran, Trump took to social media and furiously ordered their planes to turn back.