Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
Historically, Helsinki, capital of Finland bordering with Russian Federation, has hosted several summits between democratically elected leaders of the West including United States and communist aligned Soviet Union during cold war. President Ford of the United States and President Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union and 35 European Head of states assembled in Helsinki on security and cooperation to sign Helsinki accords. Similarly, President Bill Clinton and President of Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin after cold war attended Helsinki summit on 20 March,1997 to discuss expansion of NATO while President Donald Trump of the United States of 21st century and Russian President Vladimir Putin ironically held summit on 16 July in Helsinki without specific agenda.
It is really incomprehensible to note that the President of the United States of America, a super power after cold war syndrome, is subjected to severe criticism at home and abroad for illogical action. Since assuming presidency President Trump has begun criticism closest allies of US for trade deal, including NAFTA which was signed during the period of President Bill Clinton. North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement was signed by US, Canada and Mexico, both close door neighbor of the United States of America. President Trump discarded the agreement and proposed to re-negotiate trade deal. President Trump, who is anti-immigrant proponent, proposed to build wall around US-Mexico border to stop entry of illegal immigrants through this porous border.
I am not Psychologist but as political scientist I think chemistry between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, a former KGB chief turned President of Russian Federation, who is trained in psychological war fare, is on the same track. That has been, time and again, reflected in Trump’s view points on NATO and European Union with that of Putin. Similarly, both leaders are against free press of the United States and Russian Federation. Putin has bloods on his hands killing journalists on the streets.
Never before in history both leaders in Helsinki was greeted by huge protest demonstrations on their arrival, apart from display of as many as 300 bill boards from airport to the place of summit (presidential palace) drawing attention of strained relations with news media. Two large banners that called on the President’s to warm your hearts, not our planet. These banners directed towards President Trump who walked away from Paris international climate change agreement. This summit held following indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence officers on 13 July for hacking e-mails from computer of Democratic National committee including that of presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, apart from dismantled several way sides signboards of Democratic Party’s nominee Hillary Clinton.
Back at home President Trump is under severe criticism for not defending US intelligence community for meddling in Presidential elections in 2016. Instead President Trump condemned federal expensive investigation of Russian interference” as a disaster for our country and a total witch hunt”. For the first time Speaker of House of representatives Paul Ryan did not agree with President comments at press conference following tete-a-tete with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is given written statement. Speaker commented by saying” there was no question that Russia interfered in our election and continued to attempt to undermine democracy here and around the world”. Speaker added that Russia is not our ally which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals while Chairman of Foreign relations committee of the Senate Republican Senator Bob Corker is of the opinion that our President of greatest nation on earth gave lot to President Putin and urged his colleagues to crack down on President Trump’s tariff authority who pushed away our allies and further strengthen Putin. A number of other Republican lawmakers, including Senator John McCain, criticized President Trump. Senator McCain is on record by saying the summit was as one of the most disgraceful performances by an American President in memory. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats responded by saying, according to the Washington Post, “that the intelligence assessment of Russia’s ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy has been clear and has been presented to Trump in an unvarnished and objective fashion”. Former CIA Director John Brennan said “it was nothing short of treasons”.
Interesting enough to note that former President Barack Obama, who addressed massive gathering to celebrate centennial birth of Nelson Mandela at Johannes burg in South Africa on 17 July denounced policy of President Trump without mentioning his name calling today’s times strange and uncertain, adding that each day’s news cycle is bringing more head spinning and disturbing headline. The politics of fear, resentment and retrenchment began to appear and that kind of politics was now on the move at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago, President Obama added.
Both President Trump and President Putin are on the same track who are in favor of bilateral agreement instead of multilateral treaty like NATO or European Union. In the past seven decades the world witnessed global peace and prosperity because of leadership given by the United States. The era of Pax Americana is gone with the wind following taking over administration by President Trump which entered a new and more dangerous stage of decline. The word Pax Americana is referred to the period when concept of peace had been spread to Western Hemisphere and later in 20th century to Western world as a result of preponderance of power enjoyed by the United States. The present trend has been reflected embracing authoritarian leader like Vladimir Putin of Russian Federation, President Xi Jing pin, lifelong President of People’s Republic of China, authoritarian leader of North Korea Kim Jong-Un and Erdogan, President of Turkey while criticizing democratically elected Prime Minister of Canada, United Kingdom and Chancellor Angela Markel of Germany. Presently leaders of western world possibly having night mare indeed unless President Trump has changed his foreign policy.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired diplomat from Bangladesh and former President of Nova chapter of Toastmaster International Club of America, writes from Virginia).
