Amongst Countries, dexterity in managing International Relations is what is known as Diplomacy. In the same vein, the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and tactful manner also translates to Diplomacy.
In all, Diplomacy is that art that guides either countries or, even, groups of people to conduct their affairs in relation with other countries or groups of people in such a way that their political, economic, and cultural interests are meaningfully protected, without obstructing peaceful and harmonious relationships.
Effective deployment of Diplomacy amongst nations or groups of people can save the society from tumultuous rancour that had often resulted in bitter experiences, including wars.
In the 1930s, for example, British policy was to mount pressure on Czechoslovakia to concede to Adolf Hitler’s demands, and give up Sudetenland, just to avoid the Second World War at that time.
Diplomacy has three goals. Nations can; (1) resolve conflicts, (2) promote their interests, and (3) work together to address Global challenges. Through effective application of Diplomacy, Countries are able to build International Alliances. China, United States of America and Canada are known to have the highest network of International Alliances.
On Friday (Nkwo) 28th February, 2025, the embattled President of war-torn Ukraine, Mr Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visited the 47th President of the United States of America, Mr Donald Trump, in the Oval Office.
No doubt, the visit could not have been on any other issue except on the aggressive war being mounted on Ukraine by President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Before the emergence of Mr Donald Trump as a second term President on Monday (Nkwo) January 20th, 2025, the American Government, under President Joe Biden of Democratic Party, had been the strongest supporter of President Zelenskyy. Of course, America did not need to abandon Zelenskyy because his only sin was that he had indicated willingness to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, which President Putin detested.
But with the election of Republican Donald Trump, and with his Policy of ‘America First’, Ukraine’s hope of sustaining its territorial defence appears to have run into a serious predicament.
The United States of America, under Trump, is naturally capitalistic. It does not, and, of course, should not invest her resources without being sure of what her returns will be. No one should, therefore, be surprised that President Trump is having a different attitude to the war in Ukraine.
No matter how President Trump views the war in Ukraine, it is obvious that he has, so far, manifested being deficit in Diplomacy. He appears to lack tact and skill in managing International Relations and Conflicts.
On Tuesday (Eke) 18th February, 2025, President Trump organized what he called a Peace Initiative on the war in Ukraine between the United States of America and Russia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, without the involvement of Ukraine that is obviously receiving the whole heat. How could Peace be discussed on a war being waged on Ukraine by Russia, without Ukraine being represented? This action certainly was an avoidable humiliation to President Zelenskyy and the entire citizenry of Ukraine. It was a very poor depiction of lack of both Diplomacy and Diplomatese.
If Ukraine had been invited to the Talk, it surely would have yielded positive and faster results towards ending the debilitating conflict in Eastern Europe.
Discussions between a President of a country and his counterpart is conducted with maximum mutual respect, caution, fitness and Diplomacy. Except for purposes of issuance of a Communiqué, meetings between a President and another, especially on a very sensitive question like the one in Ukraine, are never held in the full glare of the Camera.
It was against every iota of paraphernalia of Diplomacy for President Trump, side by side his Vice President, Mr J. D. Vance, to have engaged President Zelenskyy of Ukraine in a controversial discussion and argument in the Oval Office before the Camera. That was most unfair to Zelenskyy, and the People of Ukraine. It was a setback to Diplomacy.
Granted that the war in Ukraine has led to the loss of many lives, and that the economy of Ukraine has been devastated, including the educational attainments it had achieved in the past before the war, when the country was the ultimate destination of many Nigerian and African Students who were desirous to study Medicine, the methodology adopted by President Trump in his discussion with President Zelenskyy was quite primitive, uncouth and repugnant.
Any person that blames Zelenskyy for fighting to defend his people of Ukraine in an unwarranted and unjustifiable war started and orchestrated by President Putin’s inordinate ambition for territorial expansion, is most uncharitable to President Zelenskyy and the People of Ukraine.
Though President Trump has exhibited fault lines of inexperience and not being grounded in Diplomacy, having not been a Man of the Establishment before becoming first elected as President in 2017, it hoped that he could still correct himself by developing a different and better approach to Putin’s aggressiveness.
The worst mistake the United States of America, and the West will do is to allow the war in Ukraine to end on terms dictated by President Vladimir Putin. If Putin, through lack of understanding by President Donald Trump and the Republicans, achieve his vaulting ambition of subjecting Ukraine to a conquered State, and, probably, reducing it to a mere vassal State, that could be the Oil that would lubricate his appetite for further invasion and conquest in Europe.
The Protocol Department of the White House should tutor President Donald Trump on the importance and application of Diplomacy. If he learns and agrees to apply Diplomacy in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, it would be most likely he could achieve positive and equitable milestones in any sincere attempt he makes to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, strictly on the basis of No Victor, No Vanquished.
A stitch in time, saves nine!
Sir Don Ubani, Okwubunka of Asa and Oke Amadi Gburugburu, is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State and writes from his native Asa land, beautifully situated between Aba in Abia State and Port-Harcourt in Rivers State.
