Trump's Transactional Approach To Diplomacy Is A Driving Force On The World Stage

Donald Trump , the real estate developer turned commander in chief, is laying bare his style of diplomacy in the early weeks of his new term: It's a whole lot like a high-stakes business deal, and his No. 1 goal is to come out of the transaction on top.

The tactics are clear in his brewing trade war with Canada and Mexico, in his approach to Russia's war on Ukraine and in his selection of the first country he will visit in his second term.

"President Trump approaches diplomacy and engages in a very transactional manner, with economics as the foundation and driving force behind international affairs," retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the president's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, explained at an event in Washington this past week.

For Trump, it's about leverage, not friendship dollars as much as values and hard power versus soft.

It's not just a matter of negotiating style. At stake is the post-World War II international order as Trump's actions raise doubts about American leadership around the globe.