[46402] The political dynamics of the Trump administration: new sanctions, international relations and friction with Europe

Updates from the international political arena

The Trump administration began the month of May with a series of significant diplomatic and economic actions. According to Цензор.НЕТ, on May 1, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing new sanctions on officials in Cuba. The order allows for the full blocking of assets in the US for individuals engaged in the energy, security, finance, and mining sectors, on the grounds that Cuba's actions constitute an "extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the US." Similar reports also appeared on UA Stream, which noted that this is the culmination of a prolonged pressure campaign on Havana.

At the same time, the international arena is dealing with the complex relationship between Washington and Moscow. On UA Stream, it was hypothesized that the phone call between Putin and Trump was intended to achieve a "ceasefire" around the May 9 events, out of fear within the Kremlin of attacks on Russian soil. This channel takes a distinctly anti-Russian line and highlights Western suspicion regarding Russian motives.

On the European level, tension is mounting. According to UA Stream, Trump's criticism of allies is causing a "deepening of the rift" between the US and Europe, a position backed by a Reuters analysis noting that even within the Republican Party, there is no sweeping consensus on the President's policy. Nevertheless, Trump is expected to participate in the G7 summit in France in June, an event that may be marked by deep disagreements regarding the war in Iran.

Finally, the Ukrainian media are turning their gaze to the past, as UA Stream published a review of Trump's 1996 visit to Moscow as a businessman, in an attempt to understand the depth of his connections and early experience with the Russian echelon.