Europe holds onto hope that it can influence Trump and soften his stance, striving to prevent irreversible damage to the transatlantic alliance, particularly concerning Greenland, as suggested by Tighisti Amare from Britain’s Chatham House.
Amare noted that with Trump’s significant cuts to U.S. development funds in Africa, America’s influence isn’t as potent as before. “The U.S. doesn’t prioritize Africa much, except for places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where there are clear U.S. interests in vital minerals,” she told POLITICO.
“In terms of trade volume, the EU remains Africa’s leading partner, followed by China, with Gulf States increasingly gaining importance,” Amare added.
Trump has not endeared himself to Africa; on the contrary, he’s made controversial statements since his first term, labeling African nations disparagingly. Further tensions arose over travel bans, high tariffs, and dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is credited with saving millions of African lives over the years.
In May, Trump reprimanded South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over alleged genocide against white South Africans, even dimming the lights in the Oval Office to show clips from South African minority party leaders encouraging such attacks. Washington then boycotted the G20 summit hosted by South Africa in November and later disinvited the country from the U.S.-hosted gathering.
Amare explained that Africa’s condemnation of Maduro’s abduction isn’t merely concern for Venezuela but also echoes the memory of colonialism. “It’s about safeguarding rules that limit powerful states from using force against vulnerable ones,” she said. African countries perceive Trump’s actions against Maduro as a real threat to international law and norms that uphold the sovereignty of smaller states.
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