Donald Trump will have a busy diplomatic day on Tuesday, when he will successively receive Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Two distinct meetings, in a very different war context, but which occur at a delicate moment for the American president.
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The conflict involving Israel and Iran represents an increasingly heavy political challenge for Donald Trump, according to American politics specialist Luc Laliberté. He believes that the American president allowed himself to be drawn into this war by Benjamin Netanyahu and that, several months after the start of the conflict, no real lull seems to be in sight.
“Donald Trump, and by extension the Republicans, must deal with a conflict which is visibly becoming a quagmire and it is happening at a very bad time for the Republicans and for the president, but especially for elected Republican officials. There is the electoral deadline approaching, but more and more quickly,” he underlines in an interview on QUB radio and TV, broadcast simultaneously on 99.5 FM Montreal, Monday.
The United States has already spent more than $36 billion on this war, a military commitment that remains unpopular with part of the American population. Added to this is a new envelope of 86 billion dollars recently authorized, in a context where inflation and the cost of living continue to concern voters.
“The Americans have been making the connection for a while now and I’m talking about voters, citizens between the conflict and of course their own situation in the United States,” he says.
In this context, Donald Trump would not benefit from a particularly harmonious relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu either. According to the analyst, the two leaders have experienced friction since the start of the Middle East conflict. He recalls in particular that the American president has already described his Israeli counterpart as a “big fool” during a telephone conversation.
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“There is a lot of pressure on Benyamin Netanyahu knowing the temperament of Donald Trump and the current situation, but the two men, and the Republicans especially, but the two men are in domestic politics in a particular situation,” he says.
As the next electoral deadlines approach in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu must also demonstrate that he maintains a close relationship with the American president, believes Luc Laliberté.
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“To encourage or maintain the interest of the most radical elements of those who are ultimately most determined to intervene against Iran,” he says.
Towards a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia?
The meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky will take place in a completely different context. According to Luc Laliberté, Ukraine has demonstrated “quite extraordinary” resilience since the start of the conflict.
The analyst points out that Ukrainian forces have not only managed to strengthen the defense of their territory, but also to carry out strikes on Russian territory, while Moscow’s offensive seems to be slowing down.
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“If there was a time for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, I think it would be a good time to propose it,” he said.
Unlike the first meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, which he describes as humiliating for the Ukrainian president, Luc Laliberté believes that the context today is more favorable to Kyiv.
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“He is in a position, I think, this time, not to push – he won’t do it, at least not in words – but on paper, to perhaps force the hand a little or to make the Americans aware of the fact that they may not have chosen the right horse in this race,” he adds.
Watch the full interview in the video and sound clips above.
