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Akbar Novruz

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Donald Trump’s second arrival at the White House came with grand promises: ending wars, restoring global stability, reviving the American economy, and defending traditional family values. Now, after the first 100 days of his new presidency, the world is already witnessing how these pledges are unfolding — with mixed, and often controversial, results.

Wars: promises of peace, reality of ongoing conflicts

One of Trump’s strongest campaign promises was to stop endless wars. Yet today, violence still rages on several fronts.

In Ukraine, multiple meetings between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — including a tense White House encounter and a rare, sombre discussion at Pope Francis' funeral — have so far yielded no breakthrough. Trump declared, “We are very close to peace, but the time is not yet ripe,” leaving hopes for a ceasefire in limbo while the war continues unabated.

In the Middle East, Israel’s military operations against Gaza have not only continued but intensified. Despite Washington's public calls for a ceasefire, US support for Israel remains overt, further complicating the region’s already fragile stability.

Meanwhile, cautious indirect talks with Iran through Oman and Rome have opened a diplomatic window, yet no tangible agreements have materialised.

Trump’s approach to economic revival has reignited fierce trade wars. Heavy tariffs against China, the European Union, and others have shaken global markets, hurting US businesses and causing stock market volatility. After intense backlash, the Trump administration was forced to suspend some tariffs temporarily — a tactical retreat highlighting the challenges of his aggressive economic policies.

While certain domestic sectors show signs of revival, overall economic indicators remain unstable, making Trump’s economic achievements highly debatable.

Perhaps, there are a few principles that Trump has delivered most clearly on domestic ideological fronts.

• Transgender Policy: Trump reinstated the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, arguing it preserves the army’s effectiveness.

• Stance against LGBT Ideology: Trump’s administration reaffirmed that only two genders — male and female — will be officially recognized in US federal policy, pushing back against progressive gender ideologies.

• Patriotic Education: The revival of the “Patriotic Education” initiative aims to refocus school curricula on traditional American values and positive national history.

These moves have generated significant resonance among Trump’s conservative base, seen as a vigorous defense of family and national identity against radical ideologies.

Beyond US borders, Trump's new term has also reshaped Washington's stance in the South Caucasus and the Turkic world, creating a major shift in regional balances.

Under Biden, Armenia enjoyed open political and military backing from the US. Now, that era seems over. Trump's administration has quietly frozen arms programs and drastically reduced financial and diplomatic support for Yerevan. In American diplomatic circles, Armenia is rarely mentioned, and when it is, the tone has become markedly neutral, if not cold. This weakening of US patronage leaves Armenia in a precarious position, diminishing its ability to balance Azerbaijan regionally.

US-Azerbaijan Relations

Conversely, Trump’s return has breathed fresh life into US-Azerbaijan relations. Constructive dialogues have resumed, and Washington’s tone toward Baku has shifted from criticism to cautious partnership.

Energy, security, and diplomatic cooperation prospects are now back on the table. President Ilham Aliyev’s early and vocal support for Trump during the election campaign seems to have laid the foundation for this renewed goodwill. For Azerbaijan, Trump's first 100 days signal new hope — and potentially greater leverage on the international stage.

Certain economic policies will possibly show their effects on the world in the near future, but for now, his commitment to ideological conservatism and realpolitik in foreign relations is reshaping the world order.