Trump Looks to Woo — and Divide — Putin, Xi and Kim

President-elect Trump is expected to deploy his trademark mix of belligerent threats and friendly relations with some of the world’s dictators as he seeks to break up the deepening partnerships between U.S. adversaries China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Whether that coheres into an effective policy — given Trump’s impulsive approach to global relations and contrasting views among his likely advisers — remains an open question.

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“I do think that the relationship between these actors is deeper and more durable than many people believe and such that each of these leaders would probably be willing to pocket concessions from the United States, but not fundamentally alter the extent that they’re cooperating with one another,” said Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.

“Trump is approaching each of them bilaterally, and without the strong backing of our allies. Because they are in many ways acting as a collective — and we are more isolated and alone without our allies — then the balance of power really shifts to them,” she added.

Read the full article and more on The Hill.