"Sucking up to Donald Trump never works for long. Narendra Modi is the latest world leader to learn this lesson the hard way. Wooing his true friend in the White House, India's authoritarian prime minister thought he'd conquered Trump's inconstant heart. The two men hit peak pals in 2019, holding hands at a Howdy Modi rally in Texas. But it's all gone pear-shaped thanks to Trump's tariffs and dalliance with Pakistan."
"Don and Narendra! It's over! Although, to be honest, it always felt a little shallow. Other suitors for Trump's slippery hand have suffered similar heartbreak. France's Emmanuel Macron turned on the charm, feting him at the grand reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. But Trump cruelly dumped him after they argued over Gaza, calling him a publicity-seeker who always gets it wrong. The EU's Ursula von der Leyen, desperate for a tete-a-tete, flew to Trump's Scottish golf course to pay court."
"Result: perhaps the most humiliating, lopsided trade deal since imperial Britain's 19th-century unequal treaties with Peking's dragon throne. The list of broken pledges and dashed hopes is lengthy. Relationships between states normally pivot on power, policy and strategic interests. But with faithless, fickle Trump, it's always personal and impermanent. Disconcertingly, he told Mexico's impressive president, Claudia Sheinbaum, that he likes her very much then threatened to invade her country, ostensibly in pursuit of drug cartels."
Flattering Donald Trump often produces temporary favor but then collapses when policy differences and personal whims intervene. Narendra Modi cultivated close personal rapport with Trump, peaking at a 2019 Texas rally, but relations deteriorated over US tariffs and perceived outreach to Pakistan, prompting Modi to warm to Vladimir Putin. Emmanuel Macron courted Trump and was rebuffed after a dispute over Gaza. Ursula von der Leyen's efforts resulted in a lopsided trade outcome. Trump praised Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum yet threatened invasion. Leaders from Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea and South Africa have similarly failed to secure lasting goodwill. Keir Starmer faces reputational risk ahead of an upcoming state visit.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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