The Republicans have never liked the UN. A striking example of this attitude is the statement of the US representative to the UN John Bolton in 2005: “you Can carry ten floors of the headquarters of the UN, and no one will feel that something is missing”. And Bolton, who is known as a possible Deputy Secretary of state in the government of trump isn’t alone in his opinion.
After joining Donald trump in the position of President of the United States, the UN went into standby mode strikes. And trump has managed to turn a dislike of it in real action. In the headquarters of the UN the steps of the President was perceived not only as a desire to hurt the hated organization, but also as a threat to the world order.
According to the newspaper the New York Times, these days the White house is developing two of the presidential decree by a sharp reduction in the US role in the activities of international organizations. In addition, the U.S. will cease to donate money to the UN agencies and other organisations that support Palestinians, and also going to be cut by at least 40% of the total donations to international organizations. The New York Times reported that examines the feasibility of financing UN peacekeeping operations and the United Nations Fund for population.
Trump’s decision to cut funding for the UN and agencies of the organization has not surprised anyone in the headquarters of the organization. Already in the late stages of the campaign, when victory trump thought possible among the senior officials of the UN Secretariat reigned despondency. Repeated statements of trump that “America is first”, heads of diplomatic delegations of the leading countries in the world perceived as a threat to the status of the United Nations. When trump first announced the intention to ban Muslims from entering the United States, the UN high Commissioner for human rights, Jordanian Prince Zeid RA’ad al-Hussein said, “If trump will choose his promises, then he will become a threat to global stability”.
Hostile attitude of the tramp toward the UN resulted in the appointment to the post of US representative in the organization, Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, which is popular in his state, but has no diplomatic experience and does not understand international relations. At the end of last week, the U.S. first entered the UN building in Manhattan. The inspiration for the first show in front of reporters Hayley drew in the speeches of trump. “I intend to carefully study this international organization and to improve it,” she said. The journalists looked at each other.
The U.S. representative continued, “the Administration seeks to reinforce the values of the UN, and we can do it, raising your voice, supporting their allies and showing allies that you can rely on us”. “I do not understand, — said the representative of one of the Asian countries. — Because representatives of the United States all the time, and do so”.
Disrupting the balance
In the lead article of the latest issue of weekly Economist asserted that “the President of the United States in relations with other countries and international organizations is not guided by policy. He believes this relationship business. Acting on the basis of business principles, sooner or later it had to come to the conclusion that the UN is a bad investment.”
The President’s plan trump the reduction in funding, the UN can do the organization a lot of damage. The U.S. share of the UN funding is 22% (about a billion dollars a year), and they are the leaders on this indicator among all countries-UN members. The reduction in funding will cause the organization a painful blow.
It is a problem also in connection with the circumstances in which this will occur. António Guterres took office as UN Secretary-General in January. Guterres, a former representative of Portugal to the UN, politician and diplomat, has held many different high positions in the UN in recent years, and his appointment was seen in new York with joy. It is associated with hopes for the implementation of long-overdue change. “Unlike his two predecessors, who came to the UN from the outside, Guterres took the post of UN Secretary General after work in the organization, knows the problems and understands the areas in which the desired changes, — said the representative of one important state. For many of us, it symbolized the beginning of a new era. But he did not expect that trump will give him bandwagon. He is shocked”.
In the statements of senior representatives of the headquarters of the UN felt concern for the fate of the organization. Ambassadors, diplomats and politicians — especially from the Western countries and Eastern European States — are expressing concern about what they called “demonstrative friendship and emerging cooperation” between the US President Donald trump and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Putin also contemptuous of the UN and trump. We will remind that Vladimir Putin pointedly absent at the opening of the UN General Assembly, brought together leaders of over 100 States. He probably did so because of sanctions of the UN Security Council imposed against Russia after the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. Russia also accused that she foiled an attempt of the UN security Council to stop the war in Syria.
In the opinion of the ambassadors and diplomats that Putin and trump secretly agreed to circumvent the UN and ignore the Security Council in the settlement of regional crises and armed conflicts. “They divide the world into spheres of influence according to their preferences, and each of them will to resolve the crises in the regions,” said a senior Western diplomat.
Stronger relationship between trump and Putin can disrupt the balance of power between the five permanent members of the UN security Council — the US, France, Britain, China and Russia. This balance has allowed the Council to function and to lead the international organization.
European attack
Fears for the fate of the UN also expressed the participants of the European summit held at the end of the week in Malta. “This had not happened”, — said the representatives of European countries in new York, after receiving reports about the statements of European leaders during the Malta summit. “In Malta reigned have not seen the atmosphere of anti-Americanism,” said a senior diplomat during a telephone conversation.
The meeting in Malta were to be devoted to illegal immigration to European countries through the Mediterranean sea. But in fact, the summit discussed the behavior of trump and his criticisms against the EU. The London newspaper The Guardian reported that in Malta, “the EU leaders sharply criticized trump and accused him of disrespect to the EU.” The publication stressed that the Prime Minister of great Britain Theresa may has tried to reassure the fellow in the first place, the leaders of Germany and France — but in vain.
Attack on trump during the summit was led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. The French President has warned that relations between the EU and the USA has no future, if they will not be “determined jointly”. Directly addressing the Buddha, Hollande said: “We do not accept the attempts of the President of the United States by their statements to force Europe to accept some form… We build Europe, not to divide it or set up against the United States.”
Merkel criticized trump for a presidential decree banning Muslims from seven States entering the United States. “Even during the global war on terrorism, we can’t accept a General attitude to people depending on their religion or origin,” she said.
Sources in the headquarters of the UN commented on the words of Hollande and said: “After the UK leaves the EU, France remains the only country of the EU and the UN security Council”. According to sources, the statement of the President of France expressed deep concern about European capitals and the headquarters of the UN contemptuous attitude of the US President to this organization.
