The election of a new President in the United States is always a moment of international significance, given the role the US plays on the world stage. The Presidential election of 2024 has been described as the most consequential in a generation and there is no doubt that the re-election of Donald Trump will have profound international repercussions.
In relation to the ongoing Israeli action in the Middle East, in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Iran, Trump has made clear his unswerving support for Benjamin Netanyahu and the ongoing incursions by the Israel Defence Force (IDF), resulting in thousands of deaths over the past year. Trump’s election victory was greeted enthusiastically by Netanyahu and his supporters in Tel Aviv.
In his first term as President, Trump tore up the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in relation to Iran, which constrained Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for a relaxation of sanctions. Given Trump’s belligerent tone towards Iran, allied with his support for Israel, there is a clear danger of escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
In relation to Ukraine Trump has been more ambivalent but the strategic objectives of the US and NATO, in encircling Russia in order to contain its influence and potential expansion remain real. However any settlement regarding Ukraine is arrived at in the short term, this wider objective will remain.
In the Indo-Pacific the military built up to counter the so called ‘threat’ of China continues, with ongoing economic and military support for Taiwan being key, along with the threat to peace in the region posed by the AUKUS alliance of the US, UK and Australia.
Any moves towards rapprochement with Cuba, mild as they were under the Obama administration, were ditched during Trump’s first term. Cuba was added to the US state sponsors of terrorism list. To the shame of the Biden administration this position was not reversed and the ongoing illegal blockade against Cuba, imposed by the US, is likely to continue under a new Trump Presidency.
The ongoing campaign to undermine progress in Venezuela, a long running effort to install a US friendly regime in that country, is unlikely to change under Trump, while a clampdown upon migration from Latin America in general will reinforce the jingoism which has been a hallmark of Trump’s policies.
For Liberation the campaign for peace, democracy and social justice in the face of the threat of US imperialism will continue. We call upon the UK government to use its influence to curb the potential excesses of the new Presidency and ensure that peace is always a priority in international relations.
7th November 2024
Photo: Creative Commons
