Trump’s strange affair with Putin and Xi leaves allies out in the cold
The great powers have no wish to go to war against each other, but that is always on the cards. What is most likely, however, is that trade-offs will be made between them with little regard for those not at the negotiating table
With Donald Trump in the White House, geopolitics has returned to the realm of great power relations. The post-World War II Western world’s network of alliances centred on the United States, is being eclipsed by the “art of the deal”.
Helpfully, Trump recognises America’s tremendous power and is prepared to use it, but only in the US’s narrow interests.
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Geoff Raby was Australia’s ambassador to China, 2007-2011. His book Great Game On: the contest for Central Asia and Global Supremacy will be published in November by Melbourne University Press.
