I thought I was watching a reality show, really. The meeting between Ukraine's Zelenskyy and Trump and Vice-President Vance at the White House did not go well, to put it mildly. This meeting of egos was an epic meltdown in about 10 minutes.
Zelenskyy doesn't have strong cards to play in this barter trade for support in his defence against Russia. This draft agreement seeks the establishment of a "reconstruction investment fund" that would be jointly managed by the US and Ukrainian governments.
China and the industry think that Ukraine's proposition of selling rare earth minerals to US is a scam, although the country has proven reserves and accounts for 7% of the world's titanium. China is the world's largest producer of titanium, along with graphite and lithium. Then there is uranium. We don't know for certain if Ukraine has a resource or a reserve.
To be honest, if this meeting is about the details of a draft minerals deal, and my counterpart sneaks in extras or brings up another point, that would really annoy me too. While I get why Trump and Vance "took umbrage" at how the negotiations were going, I didn't think their words and behavior were befitting of world leaders. I'm not sure how they think their response is justified... I mean, it's damn juvenile lah.
Then I corrected myself. Who's to police how world leaders should behave? Has it only been six weeks since Trump returned? It feels like forever. He and his cronies are literally setting their own tones and styles. If this is the way America is going, then this is it. 🤷🏻♀️
That said, I've never sat in a work meeting with anyone who dared to tell me that I should be so thankful or grateful for a handout. And then be threatened with World War III. Except for family showdowns in which I responded by keeping utterly silent. (That was a feat.)
Our own ChannelNewsAsia wrote a commentary on about it, and suggested some lessons to be learnt for friends and foes. The writer suggested that "Trumpian unpredictability cuts both ways".
Further afield, friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific must surely be on notice now. It is a different US, with a different understanding of and approach to “commitments” made by Mr Trump’s predecessors. While it does not necessarily mean that the US will be walking back on these commitments, it does suggest that Washington will now approach them very differently.
The sooner these friends and allies adjust to this new reality, the less painful it will be for them (at least in terms of not having misplaced expectations).
True. The tone of American diplomacy has changed. It's deviating from what all political science students have ever learnt and expected of global leaders. Playing 'NICE' isn't in fashion anymore. If we do look to America as a global leader, that's not what it wants to do now. It has every right to be insular. And it's up to us to protect our own interests.
Trump's pursuit of tariffs will hurt us. Ugh. America now has no qualms implementing these tariffs with a heavy hand and at lightning speed. Our business investments are closely linked to exports. Slower GDP growth is one thing. Tariffs on China will directly impact us. We see inflation. We see job losses. We see uncertainty, worries in the folks with mortgages, children, seniors to care for, and even heavier burdens.
And how all these translates to daily life in Singapore, is honestly anyone's guess. This pinch and squeeze would affect every family and household differently.
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