CNN: World leaders' fear of 'omnipotent' Trump has vanished

From the very beginning of his political career, US President Donald Trump has been convinced of his own power and ability to exert global influence. He has repeatedly claimed that his "excellent relations" with the leaders of such powers as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping can easily resolve the most complex international conflicts and economic contradictions. However, as CNN notes, the reality is that his influence outside the US is perceived differently, and world leaders are increasingly less amenable to his pressure.

Although Trump is able to pressure the US technology sector to be loyal to him, as well as actively interfere in the work of national institutions such as Harvard or the judiciary, he is increasingly unable to dictate his terms on the international stage," analysts say.

CNN writes that Vladimir Putin, for example, openly ignores Washington's attempts to influence developments in Ukraine. Moreover, his demonstrative indifference to the US position can be interpreted as a humiliation to the US president. At the same time, in the Russian state media, Trump's image has lost its former seriousness: now he is presented more as a man prone to loud but fruitless statements that are not accompanied by concrete actions.

Despite Trump's desire to present himself as a global player who has control over the fate of the world, more and more leaders in the international arena view him with distrust and scepticism. The illusion of his 'omnipotence', according to observers, is gradually dissipating," the article says.

The publication notes that US President Donald Trump hoped that he could impose his will on Beijing by initiating a trade confrontation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. However, the Chinese leadership made it clear that it was not going to give in to pressure from Washington. A similar scenario was repeated in relations with the European Union - Trump was forced to soften his rhetoric and take a step back in the tariff war with Brussels.

In addition, as CNN writes, the American leader failed to build a productive dialogue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the escalating conflict in Gaza. This underscores a general trend - other heads of state no longer fear Washington and are not inclined to give in to Trump's personal demands.

World leaders are guided by their own national interests, often not aligned with the desires of the American president. Most of them are immune to personal requests, behind which there is no concrete benefit," the piece says.

The publication also mentions that after Trump made harsh remarks about Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the symbolic authority of the White began to weaken at home.

Trump's hardline populism under the slogan "America First" is built on the claim that the US has allegedly been exploited by allies for decades. But it ignores the fact that it was international alliances that helped transform the country into a world power. Trump's tendency to act forcefully, demanding obedience from allies and rivals, destroys the traditional basis of US influence - its ability to persuade and attract rather than coerce," the publication said.

CNN recalls that the first months of Trump's presidency were marked by an aggressive foreign policy line: he threatened tariffs, voiced territorial claims to Canada and Greenland and curtailed humanitarian aid programmes.

These actions have signalled to the rest of the world that other states are now ready to defend their interests too. Leaders in China, Russia, Israel, Europe and Canada have apparently concluded that Trump's influence is exaggerated and that there will be no serious consequences for disobedience - or, alternatively, that domestic political realities require them to take a hard line with Washington," the publication adds.