Diplomacy 101: Undiplomatically Speaking
Where Beliefs Clash and Stories Flash
Elections, Embargoes, and Economic Leverage
Super Tuesday dominated headlines in the U.S., but abroad, the implications of a possible second Trump presidency have already begun to shape diplomatic calculations. European diplomats are quietly reviving discussions on strategic autonomy, and NATO defense ministers met in Brussels with an unusually explicit agenda: contingency planning for American retrenchment.
In Latin America, Venezuela's electoral commission barred key opposition candidates from registering for the July elections, drawing swift condemnation from the EU and OAS. The U.S. reinstated sectoral sanctions on Venezuelan oil, prompting a rare joint statement from China and Russia warning against “coercive economic unilateralism.”
Meanwhile, Indonesia and South Korea signed a major bilateral digital trade agreement, including AI standards, cybersecurity coordination, and 5G infrastructure investment. The deal signals the increasing role of middle powers in setting tech governance norms outside of U.S.-China bipolarity.