Donald Trump, known for his blunt style, has made a series of remarks and taken actions regarding various countries since becoming US president. His comments on Afghanistan have evolved from calling the war a 'disaster' and advocating withdrawal to authorising extra troops and praising a major bomb attack.
In 2013, Trump tweeted about the Afghan war: 'We have wasted an enormous amount of blood and treasure in Afghanistan. Their government has zero appreciation. Let's get out!' However, in September 2017, he agreed to send 3,000 additional troops as security deteriorated. Earlier that year, the US dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat on an Islamic State tunnel complex near the Pakistan border, killing around 100 militants. Trump praised the military for 'another successful job', while former Afghan President Hamid Karzai criticised the use of the country as a 'testing ground for new and dangerous weapons'.
Trump's relationship with Argentine President Mauricio Macri dates back to the 1980s when Macri's father did business in New York. After Macri congratulated Trump on his election win, reports claimed Trump asked for help with a stalled building project in Buenos Aires, which both denied. They have since spoken several times and met once at the White House.
The US-Australia alliance faced early strain after a reported 'contentious' phone call in January 2017 over a refugee deal. Trump reportedly ended the call early, calling the agreement 'the worst deal ever'. Despite this, both leaders have since held three meetings, with Trump stating the relationship is 'probably stronger now than ever before'.
In Belgium, Trump's first visit as president in May 2017 passed without incident. He met King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, and at a Nato summit praised Belgian contributions against Islamic State while urging allies to meet spending commitments. Notably, his earlier campaign comments calling Brussels a 'hellhole' and mistakenly referring to 'Belgium is a beautiful city' were not raised.
