Wolf Warrior Diplomacy with Allies

On 2 August 2026, I was on “Switzerland” with the distinguished Australian journalist, Paul Kelly, and the host, Tom Switzer. Given the events of the day, we talked much about the fiasco in Iran, but we also discussed at considerable length the damage that the Trump administration is doing to America’s standing around the globe, especially with allies. It is not only Trump’s mishandling of the Iran war, which raises all sorts of questions about his competence and reliability as an ally, but also the contempt he shows for US allies. Kelly and Switzer are both Australians who have a deep affection for the US and are champions of a close relationship between the two countries. It is clear, however, that they are worried about the future of the alliance between Canberra and Washington, given that Trump has two and a half years left in the White House and shows no signs of changing his behavior in a helpful way. Indeed, one can easily imagine his behavior getting worse moving forward.