How Has Trump Fulfilled With Role as Diploart

Story highlights

Trump has visited thirteen countries in his first year
He's also hosted many earth leaders for meetings at the White Business firm

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump has welcomed dozens of his counterparts to the White House since he entered office a twelvemonth agone and has visited 13 countries himself, each time deepening ties to the club of world leaders he's at present joined.

The at-times bombastic Trump has also shown a flair for diplomacy, befriending and charming unlikely world leaders, equally both a host and a guest.

As he looks out beyond the world one year in, the President finds both friends and adversaries -- though the distinction is rarely clear-cut.

And as he enters his second year, hither'southward a look at the state of Trump's global ties:

The Linchpin: Chinese President Xi Jinping

Everything Trump wants to do in Asia rests on his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. That was clear in April, mere months into Trump's presidency, when the businessman-turned-President hosted Xi at Mar-a-Lago, his opulent individual gild in Palm Embankment, Florida.

Trump has maintained a hot-and-common cold approach to China since launching his presidential campaign. The President slammed the world power during the campaign but leaned heavily on China and Xi to tighten the world'south grip on Democratic people's republic of korea. The strategy has had its low points, such as Trump suggesting Xi wasn't doing enough to clamp downwardly on Due north Korea or when the Trump administration slammed China'south merchandise practices.

But the President also relished the pomp and circumstance bestowed upon him during his November visit to China. A year into his presidency, what has remained clear is that Trump'south fate in Asia is inextricably tied to Xi.

The Interpreter: French President Emmanuel Macron

Elected in May, French President Emmanuel Macron is one in a small club of leaders with less experience in role than Trump. Macron appears to have used that to his advantage, forging strong ties with the White House based on a common want to change the status quo.

Through it all, Macron's aides say he views himself every bit Trump's interpreter in Europe, sifting through the brash pronouncements to observe places of common involvement. As leaders in Berlin and London detect themselves distracted by internal politics, Paris-Washington ties are enjoying renewed strength. And Macron is charting France to play a bigger role on the world stage as Trump looks inwards.

The Meddler: Russian President Vladimir Putin

No leader looms larger over Trump'southward presidency than Russian President Vladimir Putin, who U.s. intelligence agencies agree directed an ballot meddling campaign in 2016 designed to favor Trump.

The parallel investigations into the potential role that Trump campaign officials had in Russia's meddling have loomed large over Trump's first year in part.

At the same time, however, Trump has steadfastly insisted that United states-Russia ties must improve. He'due south met with Putin on the sidelines of diverse globe summits, each time with their interactions thoroughly scrutinized. Afterward their last run across, in Vietnam, Trump declared he took Putin at his word that the Russian President believes his country didn't interfere in the US election. Meanwhile, congressional leaders have insisted the administration accept a harder line on Moscow, requiring new sanctions by the end of this month.

The Rocket Human being: North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong United nations

Few leaders have drawn more than of Trump's attention -- and scorn -- than Kim Jong United nations of Northward Korea. Looking to display his diplomatic credentials and strike a deal that perplexed more experienced presidents, Trump fabricated stopping the North Korean nuclear program a primal focus of his offset year in function. He's bashed and disparaged the unpredictable North Korean leader, slammed other countries for continuing to work with Kim and devoted his longest international trip to combating the upshot.

Even every bit Trump has ramped up sanctions and tried to muster the international community, little has outwardly changed on the peninsula and 2017 was a twelvemonth of rapid progress for Northward Korea's missile program.

Trump, more recently, has signaled a willingness to talk to Kim, fifty-fifty going so far every bit to leave the door open to whether they take already talked. Though it's highly unlikely, experts say, Trump's willingness shows his want to buck tradition to address the North korea upshot.

The Golf Buddy: Japanese Prime Government minister Shinzō Abe

In that location are few things Trump likes more than golf -- and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe was sure to indulge those desires when he visited Trump'south private Florida gild last Feb. The two back-slapped their manner to warm relations that weekend and take since held a number of friendly talks, including multiple phone calls and face-to-face meetings at international summits.

One reason for the warmth may be that Abe seems willing to let Trump be the alpha male in the human relationship, smiling through his jokes about Japan being second to the United States and engaging in a twenty-2nd-long Oval Office handshake in February.

He has also flattered Trump, touting his golf score ('My scores in golf is not up to the level of Donald') and America's booming economy. In addition to their warm personal connection, the two are united by a mutual enemy -- North korea -- and Trump has leaned heavily on Nippon to curb the rogue nation's ambitions.

The Explainer: High german Chancellor Angela Merkel

When Trump took office a twelvemonth agone, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was widely regarded as the nigh politically secure leader in Europe -- if not the entire West -- and, every bit such, looked to every bit a barrier against Trump'southward nationalist instincts. She came to the White House in March armed with maps and charts that she hoped could instill in the visual-learner President a sense of how important American engagement was in maintaining the international order.

Simply it was an awkward match, highlighted by Trump'due south seeming refusal to shake her paw. Since then, Merkel has established herself as a phonation for the types of international agreements that Trump relishes ripping up. Simply she was badly weakened in concluding year'southward elections, leaving some to fearfulness that her sway with Trump could wane.

The Negotiator: South Korean President Moon Jae-in

Southward Korean President Moon Jae-in, though uncertain of Trump at the start of his assistants, has come around to the anarchistic leader. He now seems wed to working with the United States to set up the nagging consequence of Northward Korea.

Jae-in rolled out the crimson rug for Trump when he visited in Nov and has since looked to flatter him with praise for his piece of work in North korea, telling reporters before this twelvemonth that the American President deserves "big credit" for his work to counter North korea.

The strategy worked: Trump has lauded the South Korean President for his leadership and a relationship that could have been fraught, given their political differences, has and then far remained stable.

The Tightrope Walker: British Prime Minister Theresa May

British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived at the White Business firm just seven days afterward Trump took office, and institute herself hand-in-paw with the new President as they strolled along the Rose Garden. In the year since, things take become more than complicated.

Embroiled in her own political woes, May has been forced to balance Trump'south deep unpopularity in U.k. with a necessity to maintain the Usa-UK "special human relationship." It hasn't been like shooting fish in a barrel for her. Trump has sparked a series of fights, including retweeting anti-Muslim videos created by a British nationalist grouping.

The invitation to London that May extended a year ago still hasn't been fulfilled, and last calendar week Trump announced he would forgo a visit to open up the new United states of america Embassy there -- though large protests are expected to greet him whenever he does arrive.

The Autocrat: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte

Where President Barack Obama distanced himself from Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Trump has embraced him. Duterte, an autocratic leader who has bragged about personally killing people and has overseen a ruthless drug war that has killed thousands, hosted Trump in Manila in Nov.

Many foreign policy experts were confused equally to why Trump, who was in the Philippines attending the annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was honoring Duterte with a one-on-one meeting. The defoliation continued after the meeting The White House said the 2 leaders discussed human rights, while the Philippine side said the issue never came up.

Any they discussed, the indelible image of Trump and Duterte may have been when the 2 took role in the Association of southeast asian nations handshake, leaving Trump tied in knots standing next to the Philippines strongman.

The Confronter: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull, the affable Prime number Minister of a longtime US ally, may take been the beginning world leader to directly confront Trump. During a telephone call 8 days later Trump stepped into the White House, according to a transcript posted by The Washington Mail service, the ii held a contentious call where Trump said that upholding a refugee-bandy deal "will make usa look clumsily bad" and called the agreement "stupid." Turnbull didn't back down from Trump, telling the new President that "a deal is a deal" and urging Trump to "act in good faith."

Since and then -- at least publicly -- Trump and Turnbull take had a warm relationship. The 2 met in New York aboard the USS Intrepid in May, and they joked about their merchandise deficit during a November meeting in the Philippines. The two take looked to work together on North Korea and, for at present at least, the refugee swap deal that acquired their confrontation remains intact.

The Foil: Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto

"I will build a great, groovy wall on our southern border and I'll have Mexico pay for that wall." That promise, made repeatedly by Trump throughout the 2016 campaign, blithe his base, divers his presidential run and -- as president -- has been one of his most glaring failures.

The man on the other side of the "wall" is Peña Nieto, whose human relationship with Trump has been entirely colored by Trump's harsh rhetoric nearly Mexican immigrants and his pledge to crack downwards on undocumented immigrants crossing the United States' southern border.

Peña Nieto has yet to come up to Trump'south White House after he canceled his outset visit, which was slated for early on February 2017. The reason for the international incident: Trump tweeted that he shouldn't come unless Mexico would pay for his long-promised border wall.

Though they later on met for the beginning fourth dimension in Germany effectually the G-20, the so-far-unfunded wall forth the border has dominated the US-Mexico relationship and threatens to do so throughout Trump'due south 2d year in office. Information technology has too left Peña Nieto damaged, with little goodwill dorsum abode and a blessing rating lower than Trump'southward.

The Northern Neighbor: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Compared with Peña Nieto, Trump's human relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is positively sunny. The two met face-to-face for the first fourth dimension terminal February at the White House and they appeared to get along well. It's their differences, though, that boss the relationship.

Trudeau looks younger than his 46 years and is seen every bit a liberal darling equally much as Trump is a conservative hero. Trump was a political outsider. Trudeau followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both Canadian politicians. Trudeau was also famous for his "bromance" with Obama, the man whose legitimacy Trump regularly questioned.

The Strongman: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Similar a number of autocrats frozen out of the Obama White House, Erdogan has enjoyed a warmer welcome under Trump, including a friendly visit to the White House in May.

But if there had been any inkling that the Turkish leader had changed his means, it was dashed after his security forces violently clashed with protesters exterior the Turkish Embassy in Washington.

Trump has maintained chummy ties even so, in the hopes Erdogan can help resolve the security situation in Syria. Trump agreed in Nov to end selling arms to Kurds in Syria, a move Erdogan has long advocated. Also on Erdogan's wish list: the extradition of a Turkish cleric living in Pennsylvania, who he accuses of fomenting an attempted coup in 2016. There's no indication notwithstanding that Trump will agree.

The Dealmaker: Israeli Prime number Government minister Benjamin Netanyahu

For a US President who's cast himself equally the ultimate dealmaker, a peace agreement betwixt the Israelis and Palestinians remains the ultimate prize.

But whatsoever accordance will have to go through Netanyahu, who has taken a hard line on most of the issues that will need to be hammered out before Trump tin can claim victory.

And so far, the men are largely on the aforementioned page. Trump formally recognized Jerusalem equally the capital of Israel and vowed to motility the Usa Diplomatic mission there, steps his predecessors avoided. Simply the decision drew recrimination from the Palestinians, and information technology's not articulate how the peace process will move forward.

The Flatterers: Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman

Trump's first foreign finish later winning the White Firm was Riyadh, where he received a gold-trimmed celebration that included his own airbrushed face projected onto the side of the Ritz-Carlton hotel equally his motorcade pulled up.

Now that hotel has been transformed into a loftier-end prison for Saudi royals swept upwards in an anti-corruption effort ordered by Mohammad bin Salman, the powerful crown prince. The prince is consolidating power at the same fourth dimension he'southward bolstering ties to the White House. His shut relationship with Jared Kushner, Trump'due south son-in-law and senior adviser, has helped matters.

What's not yet articulate is how he'll apply his new influence -- or how far afield Trump is willing to permit him to wield it. The White Business firm applied force per unit area on the kingdom late last yr to help finish widespread suffering in Yemen, but merely subsequently a weeks-long Saudi blockade spurred forth a humanitarian crisis.