His unilateralist approach – “America first” –, his deep distrust of international institutions and his unpredictable and aggressive leadership style, combined with a kind of “magical thinking”, characterized by the belief that forceful statements or simplistic decisions can solve problems complex, reinforces the idea that the United States will seek to achieve its objectives (national or global) without the need to cooperate with others, questioning, boycotting and canceling the work of various international organizations.
Trump’s combative approach to multilateralism has made it clear in his speech that he defends a Manichaean position: the notorious inability of these organizations to prioritize North American interests over global interests and, worse still, their inability to contain or counterbalance China. .
From this perspective, the United States could withdraw from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), because it has become a political lobbying organization run by a left-wing think tank paid for by American taxpayers; of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) because its member states do not cover their minimum military spending commitments and leave the US with a disproportionate economic burden; of the World Trade Organization (WTO) due to its unfair and non-reciprocal nature, unable to prevent China from undermining free trade; from the World Health Organization (WHO) for their incompetence and lenient treatment of China during the Covid-19 crisis; and the United Nations (UN) for its intrusive internationalism, which damages sovereignty, and for its anti-Israeli attitude.
Indeed, the Trump government has generated (and this has been true since its first term) a very profound change in the interaction of the United States with international organizations. Contrary to what happened after the second post-war period, when the United States opted for multilateralism and deployed a complex network of international institutions to sustain its hegemony, today, Trump and his fighters for “America first” question these creatures for their lack of relevance. and usefulness. In some way and at some point, international organizations have stood against their own creator and threaten to neglect their particular interests. Trump is not willing to tolerate it.
However, the decision to abandon or neglect various international organizations can have a boomerang effect on the country’s foreign policy. China, its main strategic adversary, has adopted a deliberate and decidedly proactive policy in multilateral forums.
In addition to creating new international institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (2015) and the Belt and Road Initiative (2013) with which it opens alternative multilateral financing channels for countries of the global south in Asia, Africa and Latin America , or like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (2001), which offers a regional security model in the fight against terrorism, China has also increased its financing in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations United, has promoted its staff into leadership positions in more than 15 of its specialized agencies (including the International Telecommunication Union) and has strengthened its cooperation initiatives from the Department of Social and Economic Affairs.
