Something has gone profoundly wrong in American foreign policy, and the receipts are piling up. Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has threatened Canada with tariffs over 200 times, called NATO a “paper tiger,” ambushed South Africa’s president with debunked conspiracy theories, mocked Britain’s prime minister as too old and obsessed with “costly windmills,” and threatened to leave the alliance that has kept the West safe for 75 years.
In the same period, he has flown to Beijing to toast Xi Jinping as “a great leader” and “my friend,” defended Vladimir Putin’s war aims in Ukraine as positions he personally “understands,” and rewarded Pakistan – a country that once harboured Osama bin Laden -with tariff cuts and White House access.
This is not a foreign policy pivot. It is a full inversion: a systematic rewarding of adversaries and punishment of allies that is reshaping the global order in real time.
Trump’s Statements & Foreign Policy Shifts — A Comprehensive Reference
PART 1: AGAINST US ALLIES & THEIR LEADERS
Canada / Trudeau & Carney
Dec 2024 – ongoing | “51st State” & “Governor Trudeau” Trump began calling Canada a prospective “51st State” and referred to PM Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau,” a deliberate demotion of his title. Trump said he called former PM Justin Trudeau “Governor Trudeau, affectionately.” Sources: CBC News, ABC News — Dec 2024 onward
March 2025 | “Nastiest country” Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham: “One of the nastiest countries to deal with is Canada… Trudeau — I call him Governor Trudeau — his people were nasty, and they weren’t telling the truth. They never told the truth.” Source: Newsweek, March 2025
Through April 2025 | Tariff threats & annexation — 200+ times More than 200 times since January 2025, Trump threatened tariffs when speaking about Canada. A total of 69 times he threatened annexation, either by calling Canada the “51st state,” referring to its leaders as “governor,” or saying the “imaginary” border could simply be erased. Source: The Globe and Mail, April 2025
March–April 2025 | “Canada would cease to exist” Trump told reporters: “As Trudeau told me, they would cease to exist… which is true, certainly, as a country.” Source: CBC News, April 2025
April 2025 | “We don’t need their cars, energy, or lumber” Trump told reporters: “All we’re saying is we don’t want your cars, with all due respect. We don’t need their oil. We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their cars.” Source: CBC News, April 23, 2025
Denmark / Greenland
Jan 2026 | Tariff threats for opposing Greenland takeover Trump threatened fresh tariffs on goods from nations opposing his push to take control of Greenland. Trump said existing treaty rights are insufficient, arguing that full “ownership” is “psychologically needed for success.” The White House promoted its demands using far-right white supremacist memes. Sources: CNN; Wikipedia — January 2026
Jan 2026 | Diego Garcia post targeting UK over Greenland Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY,” adding it was “another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired.” Source: CNN, January 20, 2026
United Kingdom / PM Keir Starmer
Jan 2026 | Calling Starmer “brilliant” sarcastically, insulting UK defense Trump posted on Truth Social: “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.” Source: CNN, January 20, 2026
April 2026 | Personal attacks on Starmer over Iran war Trump told Starmer: “You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work,” and added: “All Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof.” Source: Time, April 1–2, 2026
France / President Macron
Jan 2026 | Macron’s private dinner plea shared publicly Trump pasted a private message from Macron — which included a personal dinner invitation and expressions of support on Syria and Iran — publicly on Truth Social, embarrassing the French leader. Source: CNN, January 20, 2026
April 2026 | “Will remember” France’s refusal to join Iran war Trump said the United States “will remember” France’s refusal to assist in the war against Iran, one of several broadsides against European allies who declined to join the conflict. Source: Global Security Review, April/May 2026
NATO
April 2026 | “Paper tiger” Trump said: “I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that, too, by the way,” when asked if he would reconsider US membership in NATO after allied nations declined to join the Iran war. Source: Time, April 1, 2026
March–April 2026 | Threatening to leave NATO Trump’s rage intensified, calling NATO a “paper tiger” and attacking some leaders even by name. European leaders said they weren’t consulted about the Iran war in the first place. Source: NPR, April 9, 2026
Mid-March 2026 | “Very bad” future warning In mid-March, Trump warned NATO allies of a “very bad” future should they not help secure the Strait of Hormuz. European countries responded with caution and resistance, declining to send warships. Trump criticized them for not stepping up, insisting his call for action had been a “test.” Source: Time, April 1, 2026
🇿🇦 South Africa / President Ramaphosa
May 21, 2025 | White House “genocide” ambush Trump dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to play a video of a far-left politician singing a song with the lyrics “kill the farmer.” He also reviewed news articles, stating that South Africa’s white farmers have encountered “death, death, death, horrible death.” Trump showed Ramaphosa a video he claimed was of “a burial site” of murdered white farmers. The footage had actually been shared previously by Elon Musk and showed symbolic crosses planted during a 2020 protest — not a mass grave. Source: NPR, May 21, 2025; Al Jazeera; Euronews
May 2025 | Cut all US aid to South Africa Trump cut aid to South Africa in February 2025. His top officials snubbed G20 events South Africa was hosting, while the US welcomed white South African farmers as refugees. Source: NPR, May 2025
Nov 2025 | G20 boycott threat Trump wrote on Truth Social that it was “a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” and said US officials would not attend. He reiterated debunked claims that “Afrikaners are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated.” He also called for South Africa to be thrown out of the G20. Source: Al Jazeera, November 8, 2025
Tariffs | 30% reciprocal tariff on South Africa South Africa faces a 30% tariff on its exports to the US. South Africa’s President Ramaphosa called the tariff “unilateral,” saying it was “not an accurate representation of available trade data” and that 77% of US goods already enter South Africa under zero percent duty. Source: Al Jazeera, July 2025
Japan
July 2025 | Form letter tariff threat Trump sent a form letter to Japan’s leader dictating new tariff rates at 25%, warning Japan not to retaliate: “If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge.” Source: CNBC, July 7–8, 2025
A separate auto deal was subsequently negotiated, with Japan’s auto import tariff falling to 15% effective September 16, 2025.
Australia
April 2025 onward | Liberation Day tariffs & Section 301 investigations Australia is now subject to new Section 301 investigations launched in March 2026 — one focused on countries with “excess manufacturing capacity,” and one assessing whether countries including Australia are sufficiently enforcing laws prohibiting imports of goods made with forced labour. The investigations are expected to be completed in July 2026, and resulting tariff measures could be more punitive than the original Liberation Day rates. Source: US Studies Centre (University of Sydney), April 2026
PART 2: PRO-ADVERSARY STATEMENTS
Russia / Vladimir Putin
Dec 28, 2025 | “Excellent” call; Putin is “very serious” about peace After a more than two-hour phone call, Trump described it as “excellent” and insisted Putin still wants peace, saying: “Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed.” That last claim drew particular attention given Putin’s repeated dismissal of Ukraine’s right to exist. Source: CBC News, December 28, 2025
Dec 28, 2025 | Defending Putin’s position on ceasefire Trump indicated sympathy with Putin’s demand for a full peace deal before any halt to the fighting: “He feels that look, you know, they’re fighting and to stop and then, if they have to start again, which is a possibility, he doesn’t want to be in that position. I understand that position.” Source: ABC News, December 29, 2025
Dec 29, 2025 | “Positive call” framing White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt described Trump’s Monday call with Putin as “positive.” Trump himself described it as “a very good talk.” Source: CBS News, December 29, 2025
Sept 2025 | “I’d love” Putin at the G20 When asked if he expected Putin to attend the G20 summit at Trump National Doral Miami, Trump replied: “I’d love them to if they want to.” Kremlin media hailed Trump’s earlier meeting with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska as a sign Putin was being brought back into the fold. Source: Newsweek, September 6, 2025
Pre-2025 (campaign trail) | “Very smart,” “Fierce” Trump has repeatedly praised Putin’s intellect: “Putin, very smart.” At a 2022 rally, Trump praised Putin as “fierce” and said, “You know a lot of times I’ll say somebody’s smart and the fake news will go ‘He called President Xi smart’ — he rules with an iron fist 1.5 billion people, yeah I’d say he’s smart.” These characterizations were repeated throughout the 2024 campaign.
China / Xi Jinping
May 2026 Beijing State Visit
May 14, 2026 | “Great leader,” “great country,” “longest and greatest relationship” Trump said at the Great Hall of the People: “It was a great honor to pay a state visit to China. The United States and China have a very good relationship. President Xi and I have had the longest and greatest relationship the presidents of the two countries have ever had… President Xi is a great leader, and China is a great country. I have tremendous respect for President Xi and the Chinese people.” Source: China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May 14, 2026
May 14, 2026 | “Fantastic future together” — State Banquet toast At the state banquet hosted by Xi, Trump described Xi as “my friend” and said: “We are going to have a fantastic future together. I have such respect for China, for the job you’ve done. You are a great leader.” Trump also invited Xi and the First Lady to the White House on September 24. Source: Al Jazeera, May 14, 2026
May 15, 2026 | “Central casting” compliment Trump paid Xi one of his most classic compliments in a Fox interview: “If you went to Hollywood and you looked for a leader of China to play a role in a movie… you couldn’t find a guy like him. Even as his physical features, you know, he’s tall, very tall.” Source: NPR, May 15, 2026
May 15, 2026 | “Most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen” During a garden tour at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound, Trump admired roses and said: “These are the most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen.” Xi offered to share Chinese rose seeds for Trump to plant in the White House Rose Garden. Source: NPR, May 15, 2026
May 15, 2026 | Trip described as “incredible,” “fantastic trade deals” Trump called the trip “incredible” and said: “I think a lot of good has come from this visit. We’ve made some fantastic trade deals, good for both countries.” The visit was big on pageantry but fell short on concrete agreements. Source: NPR, May 15, 2026
May 15, 2026 | Taiwan evasion — “I don’t talk about that” Trump said Taiwan was the “most important” issue for Xi during their talks, but when asked if the US would defend Taiwan, Trump said: “I said I don’t talk about that.” Some US and Taiwanese officials have feared Trump may use Taiwan as a bargaining chip. Source: CNN, May 14–15, 2026
Pre-2026 | “Fierce person,” “Iron fist,” “Central casting” (repeated pattern) Trump has repeatedly said of Xi: “There’s nobody that could play the role in Hollywood — all of Hollywood, nobody could play the role of President Xi of China… He’s a fierce person. He rules with an iron fist 1.5 billion people — yeah, I’d say he’s smart.”
PART 3: MAJOR FOREIGN POLICY DIRECTION CHANGES
India–Pakistan Tilt: Favouring Islamabad Over New Delhi
May 2025 | India-Pakistan ceasefire — Trump claims credit, India rejects In his 2026 State of the Union address, Trump repeated his claim of having ended the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, declaring that but for US efforts, it “would have been a nuclear war.” Trump announced the ceasefire on social media, crediting US mediation, while India firmly insisted it was achieved through direct bilateral military channels. Sources: Foreign Affairs; Times of Islamabad — 2025–2026
Aug 2025 | 50% tariffs on India vs. 19% on Pakistan — dramatic asymmetry In August 2025, Trump unveiled a tariff regime that upended South Asian expectations: tariffs on Pakistani goods were slashed from 29% to 19%, while those on Indian goods were doubled from 25% to 50%. This 31-percentage-point gap between the two nuclear-armed neighbors was interpreted as a fundamental strategic signal. Source: Fletcher Forum, January 2026
Why the shift? Pakistan’s “transactional” value Pakistan credited Trump for mediating the India-Pakistan crisis and nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize, feeding directly into Trump’s documented obsession with winning the award won by his predecessor Barack Obama. India’s refusal to acknowledge any third-party role denied Trump the recognition he craves. Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir was welcomed by Trump to the White House. Two other high-level visits followed. This acceleration of security trust had not been seen in over 10 years. Sources: Fletcher Forum; National Interest — 2025–2026
2025–2026 | India “relegated to second-tier” India appears to have been relegated to the status of a second-tier country by the Trump administration. While the Quad is no longer an American priority, the US decision to withdraw from 66 international organizations — including the International Solar Alliance, co-founded by and headquartered in India — continues to diminish forums in which both countries can work together. Source: The Diplomat, January 2026
India buying Russian oil = tariff punishment Trump explicitly linked the 50% tariff to India’s purchase of Russian energy, framing it as both economic punishment and geopolitical disciplining. India’s $41 billion annual trade surplus with the United States became a liability rather than a source of leverage. Source: Fletcher Forum, January 2026
Italy / Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — From “Trump Whisperer” to “Unacceptable”
Perhaps no relationship better illustrates the fragility of Trump’s alliances than his spectacular falling-out with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni — the one European leader who seemed untouchable. Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, on the heels of a Mar-a-Lago visit, earning headlines that dubbed her Europe’s “Trump whisperer.” The early warmth was genuine. Trump previously called Meloni “one of the real leaders of the world” and “full of energy, fantastic,” while Meloni said she was able to speak to him “frankly even when we disagree.” After their April 2025 White House meeting, Trump saved his warmest words for a social media post: “She loves her country, and the impression she left on everyone was fantastic!” The two countries even signed a joint statement committing to space cooperation, AI partnerships, and joint Mars missions.
Then Trump attacked the Pope. Trump said he did not think Pope Leo XIV was “doing a very good job” because he was “weak on crime,” suggested the pontiff should “stop catering to the radical left,” and stated, “We don’t like a pope who says it’s OK to have a nuclear weapon.” For Italians, criticism of the Holy Father is political sacrilege – and Meloni said Trump’s verbal assault on the Pope was “unacceptable.”
Trump’s response was swift and characteristically personal. He told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that Meloni was “unacceptable,” adding: “She is the one who is unacceptable because she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance. I’m shocked by her. I thought she had courage.” In a separate interview on April 14, 2026, Trump went further: “I thought she was brave, but I was wrong.” He also revealed the two leaders had not spoken “in a long time” – and that wouldn’t be changing soon. Trump rebuked Meloni for refusing to provide Italian air bases for US use and for declining to send forces to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
The irony is that the rupture has helped Meloni at home. Her approval ratings, which had fallen after a defeat in a national referendum on judicial reform, crawled back to pre-referendum levels after her public stand-off with Trump, as Italians rallied behind her defence of the Pope. As one Italian political scientist put it, her opponents had always accused her of being “subservient to Trump” – now it was harder to make that case. What was once a transatlantic bridge has become something else entirely: Meloni now stands alongside Macron, Merz, and Starmer as part of a European quartet bound by shared necessity – and shared exasperation with Washington. The woman Trump once called Europe’s most natural ally has become its most vivid symbol of what happens when you try to be a friend to a president who only knows transactions.
Broader Foreign Policy Realignment
2025 NSS no longer calls China the primary competitor The 2025 US National Security Strategy calls for a readjustment of US military presence to focus on combating drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, while urging allies in the Indo-Pacific and Asia to increase their contributions to deterrence. The document no longer identifies China as the US’s foremost strategic competitor. Source: Asia Society Policy Institute, January 2026
US withdrawal from multilateral institutions The Trump administration’s contempt for global cooperation accelerated early in 2026, with the US government withdrawing from 66 international organizations. Source: Asia Society Policy Institute, January 2026
2026 State of the Union | Boasting about 8 peace mediations Trump told reporters: “Do I get credit for it? No. I did eight of them. How about India and Pakistan? So, I did eight of them. And they don’t tell you the rest of it.” The administration highlighted mediations in India-Pakistan, Iran-Israel, DRC-Rwanda, and Thailand-Cambodia, among others. Source: The Hill, December 2025
Conclusion
The pattern across all of this is consistent. Trump’s public warmth correlates with transactional payoffs — flattery (Xi, Putin and Pakistan), energy deals, Nobel Prize nominations, and willingness to credit him publicly. Countries that maintain principled independence (India on Russian oil, France on Iran, NATO allies on Greenland) face tariff punishment, public insults, or diplomatic isolation. This is less a traditional foreign policy framework and more, as Singapore’s then-Defense Minister put it,
“Washington’s image has shifted from ‘liberator to great disruptor to a landlord seeking rent.'”
