Swings to the centre by both Canada and Australia; both results that would not have been predicted pre-Trump. Pro-nationalist anti-USA is flourishing in Canada whist Australia veered away from the right wing Conservative candidate to the extent he lost his seat. We have not seen how Europe will react politically – will it become more unified against the tariffs imposed by Trump or will countries such as Hungary become more closely aligned with Moscow? For now Putin seems to have lost out to the minerals deal done by Ukraine with the USA. Wass Trump pushing for a similar deal with Russia? Trump is great at creating uncertainty so I will not hold my breath seeing if support for Ukraine continues.
Israel targets an unarmed boat carrying supplies for Gaza in international waters off Malta. The international community has got to rally against this hideous monstrocity of a government (but Trump is pushing a law which would mean upto 20 years jail for anyone boycotting Israel – the land of the free is becoming more shackled by the day.
China meanwhile is testing the waters by claiming an uninhabited island in disputed waters. I have still not worked out how China can hold so much of American debt whilst being nominal “enemies”. Economics seems to exist in a different dimension!
In Africa Morocco has given access to its ports to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – all military run states. The politics of the Maghreb region is largely unkown or at least uncared for by the UK being formerly part of the French Empire. The saharan region seems to be under increasing influence by ISIS, Russia, China whilst French influence retreats. Much of the region has long been an economic disaster area. High birth rate, high levels of poverty, climate change and unstable governments have meant a growing development gap for the region with the rest of the world. This applies especially to the land locked countries of Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Is Switzerland the only really successful landlocked country? So the vacuum left by France will be filled by? Not America or Europe so it is between China, Russia and quasi-arabic groups like ISIS?
More on other places that matter next time