Countries jockeying for position

Under Trump, America leads by disruption

Leadership or disruption? The Straits Times looks at how Donald Trump's coercive diplomacy kick-started the Singapore summit and caused various players to jostle for a piece of the action.

Analysts give US President Donald Trump considerable credit for the June 12 summit, amid hopes that his unconventional approach to diplomacy may pay off - in the form of peace on the Korean peninsula.
Analysts give US President Donald Trump considerable credit for the June 12 summit, amid hopes that his unconventional approach to diplomacy may pay off - in the form of peace on the Korean peninsula. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

"Five hundred days of winning on the world stage" was the title of the e-mail the White House sent out on June 7.

The United States has returned to leadership on the international stage while prioritising its interests, it said. And it quoted President Donald Trump as saying: "We know that weakness is the surest path to conflict, and unmatched power is the surest means of our defence."

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 11, 2018, with the headline Under Trump, America leads by disruption. Subscribe