Russia and North Korea

A few days ago, Donald Trump set up in anger, or at least that seemed like face the public. The president showed his anger with Putin for the obstacles in the negotiations of a high fire in Ukraine. The apparent initial closeness for this agreement with the Russian leader, where he even seemed to blame him for the war, gave way to a threat: to impose secondary tariffs up to 50% About Russian oil. Today, and after knowing each other An almost universal list Of tariffs by Washington, we lack two nations: Russia and North Korea.

Indulgence to adversaries. It We count this morningto. In a new and unknown phase of his commercial war, President Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on some of the closest allies and partners in the United States, a list where we find Japan (24%), South Korea (25%), India (26%) or Taiwan (32%). Territories were also included tiny and remote like Tokelau (New Zealand) and Svalbard (Norway),

However, it seems that it exempts from rates to adversary nations such as Russia, North Korea, Belarus and even Iran, a country to which only applied 10%less than Israel Tax (17%), its historic ally. Background: a policy that aligns with Trump’s strategy In his second term, one characterized by punishing allied countries, threatening them even with military actions, and showing themselves, although with asterisks, with traditional adversaries from Washington.

The official position. The White House has left the step giving A justification. The total absence of tariffs to Moscow, together with countries such as Cuba, Belarus and North Korea, is due to the fact that “these nations already face sanctions and rates so high that they limit their trade with the United States.” However, the data show that, despite the sanctions, Russia still maintains commercial exchanges significant.

Privileged relationship. They remembered a key In Firstpost To understand what is happening. Trump had formalized your affinity With Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking to transform Russia as an adversary to partnerand this despite the fact that Moscow has not yielded in its aggression to Ukraine or has moderated its position towards the West. Despite the official justification from the White House that Russia, North Korea and others are already subject to sanctionsthe truth is that commerce with these countries is nothing less null.

Namely: in 2024, the United States maintained exchanges with Russia by value of 3.5 billion dollars (yes, in 2021 the bilateral trade was from 35,000 billion of dollars), including US exports of Medical supplies and essential pharmacists. Even North Korea and Iran, under sanctions, maintain Reduced commercial flowsbut existing, in sectors such as pharmaceutical products, chemicals (and even works of art in the case of Iran). Meanwhile, allies as Ukraine (In full war) they also entered that 10% of tariffs, contradicting the logic that policy seeks to protect strategic partners.

The validity of Russia. Moreover, like They explained in Axiosin practice, the United States trades more with Russia than with many of the countries sanctioned by new rates, evidencing a contradiction in the official justification. Karoline Leavittspokesman for the White House, he reiterated that Russia could face “new and strong sanctions” in the future, especially after Trump expressed that public discomfort towards Putin for his recent statements about Ukraine and threatened Impose secondary rates to Russian oil.

Stagnant negotiations. Russia, on the other hand, has asked the Trump administration Partial withdrawal of sanctions As a key to negotiations for a fire in Ukraine, a process that remains practically frozen. Meanwhile, Trump seems to have chosen to hit traditional partners and smaller economies before Russia, maintaining that pattern that seems to characterize its foreign policy: hardness towards allies and flexibility, or At least containmenttowards strategic adversaries.

The Israel-Iran case. We said it at the beginning. Especially striking is The case of Israelwhich recently eliminated its tariffs on American products as a gesture of good will, waiting for the exclusion of sanctions.

It has not been so, and finally Trump has not only imposed a 17% tariff to Israelbut has applied a minor one, only 10%, to Iran, country considered declared enemy both from the United States and Israel and “sponsor” of hostile groups to both. What’s doubt, the decision has caused outrage at Tel Aviv And it has been interpreted as a sign that Trump’s commercial policy in his second term does not distinguish between strategic friends and enemies.

Controversial turn. What seems clear is that the choice of some and the exclusion of others in the list is not due to random (not with other micro territories and uninhabited spaces). As a result, the strategy has generated bewilderment between Washington experts and allies, seeing how the country hardens its treatment with historical partners and, at the same time, softens your measures Against geopolitical rivals.

Far from being only an economic measure, the pattern seems to reaffirm the Trump approach to destabilize traditional alliances in favor of direct relations, although inconsistent, with adversaries, even if they have not offered diplomatic or commercial concessions in return.

Image | Office of the President of The Russian Federation

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