With Trump’s Victory, the Clock is Now Ticking for America’s Foes

In the past few days since President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, America’s adversaries have congratulated him while offering a note of caution.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had dismal relations with the Biden administration, congratulated Trump for his victory; he also called Trump “brave” for his reaction to the assassination attempt in Butler, PA. However, Putin also made clear that his demands on Ukraine — primarily, that it not join NATO — have not changed.

China’s President Xi Jinping, in his congratulations, said that America and China “gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.” In Trump’s first term, the American president started a trade war with China and has promised to hit their products with massive tariffs.

Trump had a good personal relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. But in July, North Korea asserted that, though they indeed had “special personal relations,” a Trump victory would not change the political climate.

And that political climate has rapidly shifted in four years. Though Trump and Kim met in person three times — and Trump became the first president to enter North Korea — the Biden administration had essentially no relations with them. North Korean troops also recently began fighting in the Russo-Ukrainian War, a fact Trump has reportedly discussed with the president of South Korea.

Iran expressed that Trump’s win was an opportunity “to review previous wrong policies,” as they had “bitter” experiences with the US in the past. “Bitter” might be an understatement: in his first term, Trump tore up the Iran Deal and killed Iran’s top general Qasem Soleimani — actions that have since made him a target of Iranian assassination attempts.

As Trump re-enters the White House, the Islamic Republic is arguably weaker than it has been in decades. Israel has eviscerated two of their major proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, and both of its missile attacks on Israel failed to do any significant damage. Trump may be significantly less likely to restrain Israel in Gaza than the Biden administration.

Some adversaries were more positive in their reactions. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who the previous Trump administration tried to overthrow, said that his election could be “a new start” between the US and his country.