A look inside Trump’s ‘shadow diplomacy’ as he unveils the first major move against foreign enemies

Donald Trump is already engaging in “shadow diplomacy” as he prepares the US for major shifts in foreign policy that will reverberate around the world when he enters the White House on January 20.

Trump has been unusually active for a newly elected president in building ties with world leaders in the final days before taking power, issuing a series of warnings, including threatening to regain control of the Panama Canal.

In addition to greeting foreign leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei, Trump hosted Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer at Mar-a-Lago, while some of his key advisers held discussions on his behalf.

This also includes envoys spoken privately with Ukrainian officials as the third anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches.

Trump also got the immediate attention of the leaders of Mexico and Canada with his demand that they put an end to illegal immigration.

He then taunted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a series of messages about making Canada the 51st US state. It was a sign that Trump is planning a strong foreign policy.

The outgoing Biden administration has expressed no concern about Trump getting a jump-start on his diplomatic initiatives, even as Trump has mockingly accused President Biden of being checked out.

And Biden’s own decision to stay out of the spotlight since the election has left a vacuum for Trump to fill.

Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan has repeatedly emphasized the normalcy of an incoming president meeting with foreign leaders.

Speaking to Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer, Sullivan said: “The imperative for us, both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration, must be to work together more closely than is normal.

“To spend more time together than is normal, and to ensure that we send a common, clear message to both friends and adversaries in the Middle East, and we have tried to do that in recent weeks.”

Sullivan said he and new national security adviser Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) have “worked closely” despite differences over long-term strategy in the Middle East.

“Right now, when it comes to big issues, where we need a certain degree of flexibility and continuity in the transition from one government to the next, I think both the outgoing and incoming governments are seeing the bigger picture. And that is very important,” he said.

In one of his most outspoken statements, Trump issued a chilling ultimatum to Hamas on December 2, demanding that they release hostages. One of the outgoing government’s top priorities was trying to negotiate a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

“Please let this TRUTH serve to indicate that if the hostages are not released by January 20, 2025, the date on which I proudly assume office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East , and for those in charge who committed these atrocities against humanity,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

“Those responsible will be hit harder than anyone in the long and storied history of the United States of America. Release the hostages now!’ Trump demanded.

It was yet another example of Trump seizing the initiative at a time when President Biden has avoided extensive public involvement.

Trump also traveled to Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame, where he visited a number of world leaders, including the president of Georgia and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump also vowed to take a tough stance on China during the campaign, repeatedly promising to impose tariffs on Beijing.

In early December, he signaled his stance by announcing he would bring back trading advisor Peter Navarro as a senior advisor.

Navarro – author of “Death by China: Confronting the Dragon – A Global Call to Action” – advocated aggressive tariffs on Beijing during Trump’s first term.

Complicating the picture further is that Trump backer Elon Musk has deep economic ties to and even China high praise on Beijing’s economic achievements on the centenary of the founding of the country’s ruling Communist Party.

Trump also said during the campaign that he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine in one day. His rivals warned he could spoil long-standing alliances with NATO allies.

The outgoing Biden administration has continued to ship billions in munitions to Kiev, while Trump has criticized Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied missiles to strike deep into Russia.

One sign that Trump’s worldview continues to be shaped by accusations of Russian interference in his 2016 victory is that he continues to rant about “Russia, Russia, Russia” in his public messages.

Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed during his annual year-end news conference that he has not spoken to Trump, despite Trump’s own cagey answers when asked.

“I don’t know when we will meet because he hasn’t said anything about it,” Putin said. ‘I haven’t spoken to him in over four years. Of course I’m always willing to talk; I will be willing to meet him if he wishes.”

That raises the prospect of high-stakes diplomacy early in Trump’s term, although some choices in his administration, such as his pick for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio, suggest a more traditionalist approach.

It has yet to be determined what role Trump’s choice as “special missions envoy” Ric Grenell, the former US ambassador to Germany, will play.

Trump has also pledged to use his negotiating skills to end the bloody conflict in Gaza, and has pointed to the diplomatic gains in the Middle East resulting from the Abraham Accords signed during his first term.

“End it and let’s return to peace and stop killing people,” he told host Hugh Hewitt in April.

There have been rumors for weeks that a deal was close, following Israel’s decimation of Hezbollah’s leadership in Lebanon and the stunning fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

But finding a solution will once again test the complex relationship between the US and Israel.

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally, told the Wall Street Journal last week: “I will not agree to end the war until we remove Hamas. We will not let them remain in power in Gaza, 30 miles from Tel Aviv. That’s not going to happen.’

That attracted accusations from the opposition that Netanyahu does not want a deal.