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Trump's Return to White House: How Will Global Political Landscape Be Reshaped?

10:20, 8 November 2024

Muhammad Nooh Osman

Writer/Editor

The surprising win of Republican nominee Donald Trump in the November 5 presidential election has sparked much discussion about the former US president's comeback to the White House and how it could affect global politics. Together with African scholars, Sputnik Africa attempts to explore potential changes under the new administration.

Sputnik

US President-elect Donald Trump's decisive leadership style and contrast with the campaign strategy of his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, played a key role in his victory, believes Dr. Dylan Mangani, Research Fellow at Nelson Mandela and Venda Universities and the BRICS Research Institute, South Africa.

"I think this was in stark contrast to his opponent, who seemingly used a camouflaged approach to critical issues. So I think we saw it coming," Dr. Mangani told Sputnik Africa. "There are just a lot of discrepancies that were happening, particularly in Kamala Harris campaign."

While acknowledging the influence of the "Israel or Jewish lobby" on US foreign policy, he anticipated Trump focusing on navigating the complexities of a multipolar world, a reality that emerged during his first term.

"I think what we should expect from the Trump presidency is to be able to look at ways through which America has to make sense of the multipolar system that it started in 2017 and how you'll be able to navigate the current conflict in Ukraine and the current conflict in Israel and Gaza," he said. "These conflicts mainly give us an idea that we are no longer living in a unipolar system, but we now have three superpowers, America, China and Russia."

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He sees the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a key challenge, predicting a stalemate due to potential unwillingness from both sides to accept a decisive victory. Dr. Mangani believes that Russia's demands for NATO's eastward expansion to cease and Ukraine's neutrality are unlikely to be met by the US, leading to a prolonged standoff.

"I think a Russian victory would obviously spit in the face of the Americans. And I'm not too sure if the Americans are prepared to have Russia have its way and listen to the demands. So we are almost probably going to have a stalemate," the academic argued.

The US-China relationships are also expected to be impacted by the new administration's approach. Dr. Mangani highlighted the challenges of accommodating China's rising influence in the Southeast Asian region and adapting to a multipolar world where the US can no longer dictate global affairs.

The potential for friction with the "deep state" is also acknowledged. Dr. Mangani believes this powerful entity, with its resources and influence, could significantly impact Trump's ability to implement his agenda.

"Well, it remains to be seen how Donald Trump is going to navigate the current crisis in Europe, in the Middle East and other crises that are going on around the globe," the expert concluded. "I think it's very important for the US to demonstrate its global leadership in terms of how it's going to manage these conflicts."