Extending a Hand, Obama Finds Cold Shoulder Abroad

Following frank meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G8 Summit, US President Barack Obama is finding that some fellow heads of state are dispensing with diplomatic niceties. Even allies are disappointed, and Obama must contend with a notoriously difficult relationship with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, a brutal response to protests by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and a declaration of unlimited power by Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi. In Europe, personal relations with French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have soured due to US foot-dragging on conflicts in Mali and Syria, as well as the National Security Agency spying scandal. Personal ties won’t convince a leader to oppose his or her nation’s interests, and they are not required to tackle issues in effective ways. Obama, in the first year of his second and last term, may be already deemed a lame duck. World leaders who speak their minds can be useful, but may also fracture the cooperation and long-term vision essential for addressing global challenges. – YaleGlobal