During the first term of the presidency, Donald Trump maintained his own foreign policy with the rivals of the United States. At that time, he maintained close ties with Russia and North Korea and exerted pressure on China and Iran. However, he may face a slightly different challenge in the second term.
In the context of the Ukraine war, there have been some changes in the scenario of global politics. US rivals have drawn closer over Moscow's aggression against Kiev. These words came out in a report of the British news agency Reuters about the possible challenges of Trump's foreign policy due to the closeness of Russia, Iran, China and North Korea.
On January 20, the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, sat in the Masonic office of the Oval Office. Since the election campaign, the media was covered with his rhetoric on global issues. Within 24 hours of coming to power, he has pledged to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, curb Iran's nuclear program, counter China and further increase the capabilities of the US military.
However, the game turned with the increasing closeness of Russia and China. In the past few years, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have developed a 'borderless partnership' between themselves. As a result, the Kremlin can still remain financially stable in the face of Western sanctions against continuing the war in Ukraine.
The phone call between Putin and Xi took place the day after Trump's inauguration on Capitol Hill. They also agreed to strengthen mutual strategic partnership.
In addition, Russia signed strategic agreements with North Korea last June and Iran last Friday.
The Biden administration's ambassador to China called the alliance of the four US rivals an 'unholy alliance'. Experts say the four powers joining hands could reduce the chances of the US and its allies turning their heads.
Daniel Russell, an expert at the Washington-based Asia Society Policy Institute, said Trump may face a crisis of both. On the one hand, he wants to increase the closeness with Russia, on the other hand, he also wants to keep China under commercial pressure. But due to the alliance between the two countries, Moscow's interest in deepening relations with Washington and Beijing's surrender to pressure from the White House – both possibilities are becoming limited.
Russia's financial survival of the war in Ukraine amid Western sanctions is largely due to China. China keeps its economy moving by buying Russian oil in the loophole of the US sanctions.
Meanwhile, North Korea has sent troops to fight Russian forces in Ukraine. Experts fear that Kim Jong Un's army will become more efficient with the experience gained through this war. In addition, Pyongyang is rapidly increasing its nuclear program.
The Trump administration is aware of the potential challenges of this four-nation alliance. In an interview with Fox News, newly appointed national security adviser Mike Waltz said that China is buying oil from Iran at a nominal price. Tehran is sending missiles and drones to Moscow with that money. The Kremlin is destroying the important infrastructure of Ukraine with these weapons.
New Secretary of State Marco Rubio called China the biggest threat to the United States in a recent speech. He accused Moscow, Tehran and Pyongyang of creating 'chaos and instability'.
