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Ruairidh J. Brown

“All I’ve done all my life is deals,” US President Donald Trump told the Gaza peace summit, going on to say “maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all”. Trump has cultivated his image on being the greatest deal-maker, a legacy central to his identity as a business tycoon and now fundamental to his reputation as a world leader.
The ceasefire in Gaza has been framed as a crowning achievement in this repertoire. “Together we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible, but at long last, we have peace in the Middle East,” Trump said.
Now Trump is endeavouring to top this achievement by attempting to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Only three days after addressing world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh, Trump announced he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. His objective is simple: “We gotta get that one done.”
Can the same strategy used in the Middle East work with Russia. Can it work with China, the United States’ greatest geopolitical rival?
Trump’s diplomatic approach reflects his “America first” world view. American exceptionalism, which places a moral burden on the US to defend freedom and democracy globally, has been replaced with an amoral business mindset which prioritises the best deal for America. It is amoral in the Machiavellian sense, disregarding intrinsic value and regarding all issues only in terms of their cumulative utility. As a consequence, Trump’s foreign policy is freed of moral non-negotiables, enabling him to apply maximum pressure to gain acceptance of his deal.
Trump’s approach to Iran focused on the 2015 nuclear agreement, which he called the “worst deal”. Trump wanted to compel Tehran to accept a deal more in favour of the US, even if this required the use of force. His message to Tehran was consistent: take a deal or face the consequences. However, Trump also pressured Israel – when Israel looked likely to violate a ceasefire with Iran, Trump took to social media and furiously ordered their planes to turn back.


Trump’s approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict has been equally amoral and business-minded. Following the October 7 attacks, Trump avoided moral condemnation, instead calling Hezbollah “very smart” and Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister at the time, a “jerk” – a sharp contrast to then US president Joe Biden’s framing of the attacks as “pure unadulterated evil”.
On taking office as president, Trump’s business-minded perspective was further revealed when he appointed a real estate developer as special envoy to the Middle East, alongside his suggestion of turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The diplomatic turning point came when Israel’s failed missile strike on Hamas’ leadership in Doha threatened US military and business interests in the Middle East. Trump pressured Benjamin Netanyahu to end the conflict, reportedly telling the Israeli prime minister that refusing his deal “means we walk away from you”. Unlike Biden’s determination to support Israel, Trump’s support remains only so long as it creates the “best deal”.
This maximum pressure, amoral business-minded approach faces immediate pitfalls with Russia as the required pressure is likely to exceed domestic tolerance. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement is hostile to Ukraine because of the levels of aid the Biden administration sent to Kyiv. To support Ukraine now would appear to be a betrayal of his previous stance, yet Trump seems to think the threat of giving Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv is useful in bringing Putin to the table. Trump faces a two-tier game: he must win internationally by pressuring Putin without losing support domestically.


A similar game appeared during the Israel-Iran conflict, with some Trump supporters expressing anger that he was dragging them into someone else’s war. A quick ceasefire without any notable impact on the US gave Trump a quick win. The pressure required for Putin would likely not allow for a quick and clean victory.
Unable to exert maximum pressure, Trump needs a common understanding, but he and Putin speak different philosophical languages. Trump’s is amoral materialistic exchange. Putin’s is ideational, concerned with the security of Russia’s being and identity. Moscow views the expansion of liberal capitalism as a threat that devalues Russia’s own unique civilisation and destiny.
Trump’s materialistic business approach is unlikely to speak to this concern. Becoming the latest state disciplined into peace by Trump would be a blow to Russia’s civilisational claims.

Pressuring Beijing will be even more difficult, given the Chinese economy’s resilience in the face of US tariffs. However, there is another bargaining chip Trump has alluded to using: Taiwan. In 2016, Trump openly toyed with rejecting the “one China” policy and supporting Taiwanese independence if this served as leverage against Beijing.
In Beijing, however, Taiwan is non-negotiable. Reunification is seen as necessary for national rejuvenation. Using the island as leverage would inadvertently cast Trump as an imperialist attempting to prevent China’s recovery, regardless of his amoral business intentions. This reveals the central danger of Trump’s approach: his refusal to consider intrinsic worth blinds him to its existence in others’ world views, potentially leading to misunderstandings and conflicts.
While these limitations do not rule out possible agreements, the extremity of Trump’s transactionalism inhibits it. To overcome this, he must realise everything can’t be on the table. Even if there is no intrinsic worth in his own view, he must recognise this quality in other perspectives if he is to navigate China and Russia.


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Trump’s amoral deal-making won’t work with Russia or China

Illustration: Craig Stephens

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Opinion

World Opinion

News

Diplomacy

Trump’s refusal to consider intrinsic worth blinds him to its existence in others’ world views, potentially leading to greater conflicts


Trump’s refusal to consider intrinsic worth blinds him to its existence in others’ world views, potentially leading to greater conflicts.


US-Russia relations

Ukraine war

Taiwan

Palestinian Territories

United States

Russia

Israel

China

Ukraine

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Trump’s amoral deal-making won’t work with Russia or China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Trump’s refusal to consider intrinsic worth blinds him to its existence in others’ world views, potentially leading to greater conflicts

Trump’s refusal to consider intrinsic worth blinds him to its existence in others’ world views, potentially leading to greater conflicts