“Donald Trump cultivates reality tv diplomacy. Words are of secondary importance”

President Donald Trump prefers “diplomacy of reality TV”; Words are of secondary importance – said in an interview with PAP the director of the Civitas University of Civitas University Marcin Bużański. This is to serve the image of the US leader, raising his viewership and maintaining support – he added.

Bużański was asked by PAP about the diplomatic language of the President of the United States in the context of recent meetings with the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the EU countries.

The expert noticed that we were observing a departure from the traditional dimension of diplomacy performed by the US president. – Trump prefers diplomacy – as I say it – reality TV. It is like a combination of traditional aspects with a word of the US president. In the diplomacy, every sentence is what counts, and leaders usually weigh in words – he emphasized.

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In his opinion, in the case of Trump, words are already a bit secondary, because they can mean a lot. All this also influences – as he noted – the entire diplomatic machine behind the leaders, which must adapt to it.

– From Trump's point of view, reality tv diplomacy is set to his image and narrative, which has to “raise viewership” and maintain support. Note that he all the time requires conquering the narrative, adding oil to the fire – said the analyst.

According to him, traditional diplomacy collides in America with a narrative known for his fiction, from television, where it is difficult to see “what is finally reality and what a winding narrative bubble”.

An example of such a political theater performed by Trump can be – the expert pointed out – even a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. In his opinion, from the point of view of the diplomatic protocol, there was no major controversy, but still a disgust remained, e.g. after the red carpet and applause for the Russian leader.

– You may wonder if Trump as a host should welcome another state leader at the airport or would not be better before entering the military base. Remember that in order to achieve peace, you even negotiate with criminals, but the meeting itself – which Trump gave him as the most important leader in the world – that it would be enough. Adding this pump and honors to Putin was striking and tasteless – said Bużański.

In his opinion, Putin's invitation to a limousine commonly known as the “beast” was to give the effect of a picture in which these two leaders talk alone. – The face -to -face meeting was previously dismissed and turned into a meeting into three -person delegations of countries, hence this image movement – emphasized Bużański.

However, until the lunch cancellation after talks in Alaska, the expert would not attach much importance due to the fact that the meeting was organized at an express pace and in the last moment some details could change.

– For a large part of the world, not to mention, of course, about Ukraine, watching this fetting of Putin's arrival after all he did was a very sad picture. Even if this would lead to a suspension of weapons, I think that in the perspective of years it will be assessed very negatively – said the analyst.

Much less controversial – in his opinion – was the Monday meeting of Trump with the President of Ukraine and European leaders in Washington. In his opinion, it was more positive and calmer than Trump's meeting with Zelanski in February this year.

– At the moment there was an evident “chemistry” between them and a lot of words about mutual respect. Important words about security guarantees were said. I think the presence of European leaders helped here. Of course, we watched Trump's word again and a lot of almost contradictory statements. Striving that he puts himself as a conciliator, but he does it quite ineptly, because the Russians impose their narrative, which he picked up – noted Bużański.

He also referred to the discussion around why there was no Polish representative on Monday in Washington. He noted that the final decisions on guests are always made by the host, i.e. the USA and Trump. – It is possible that in this case Ukrainians could also influence these decisions. Let's not forget that the meeting was organized very quickly. Nevertheless, it's bad that we were not there. It is not the first time in history that our internal disputes cause that we are weakened in the international arena – said the analyst. (PAP)

GAB/ MOK/ MHR/