President Donald Trump is set to meet with Poland’s right-wing president, Andrzej Duda, this week in New York. The meeting comes after a trend of private interactions with leaders from countries who share similar political ideologies. Duda announced the possibility of the reunion on social media and the two leaders have met before at the White House in 2020.
Trump has recently had conversations with other foreign leaders, including a call with the king of Bahrain last month. The pace of these interactions has increased as foreign leaders recognize the possibility of Trump returning to power. However, there are concerns about any attempts by Trump to influence the actions or statements of foreign leaders to undermine Joe Biden’s policies.
Some of the countries directly connected to Trump have leaders who have clashed with Biden or maintained a positive relationship with Trump during his presidency. For example, Trump met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a right-wing nationalist who has been at odds with Biden and shown support for Trump’s goals. This meeting follows a similar pattern as Duda represents a conservative nationalist party that has been in power in Poland. Despite sharing power with a political rival, Duda will once again rekindle ties with Trump, whom he visited at the White House in 2020.
There are concerns about the potential impact of these meetings on US foreign policy. While there is no requirement for Trump to coordinate his interactions with the State Department, there is a need for caution to ensure that these meetings do not negatively affect US diplomacy. Some foreign leaders have approached Trump to build personal relationships in anticipation of a potential return to the presidency. However, the nature of these interactions and their implications for international relations remain subjects of scrutiny and concern.
Overall, it remains uncertain how much influence Trump will be able to exert on world leaders if he returns to office next year, but one thing is clear: his meetings and calls are likely to continue being closely watched by both domestic and international audiences alike.