This Is What Trump’s Relationship With World Presidents Is Like

• Trump prioritizes bilateral relationships with world presidents
• Global alliances and tensions
• Latin America plays a key role

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, U.S. foreign policy has once again revolved around bilateral relationships marked by direct pressure, ideological affinity, and the use of economic and security power as diplomatic tools.

Far from a multilateral approach, Trump has favored personal contact with heads of state, one-on-one negotiations, and, in several cases, public confrontation.

His relationships with different presidents around the world reflect an uneven map of allies, strategic partners, and governments with which he maintains open tensions.

Between November 2024 and January 2026, these ties were expressed through frequent phone calls, formal meetings, and public statements.

Sheinbaum and Trump: Calls, Tariffs, and Sovereignty

According to El Economista, since Claudia Sheinbaum took office as president of Mexico, her relationship with Trump has been marked by constant communication.

Official records, public statements, and media reports indicate that both leaders held at least 11 phone calls between November 2024 and January 2026.

The main topics included trade, border security, drug trafficking, migration, and sovereignty.

These conversations took place amid tensions driven by tariff threats and pressure related to security issues.

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Trump insisted on conditioning trade matters on results in combating drug trafficking and irregular migration.

Sheinbaum, for her part, repeatedly emphasized the defense of Mexican sovereignty and rejected any form of interference.

The calls reflected moments of friction as well as specific bilateral cooperation agreements.

This relationship became one of the clearest examples of Trump’s style: direct pressure, constant negotiation, and public exposure of disagreements.

Trump Relations with China and Europe: Between Risk and Opportunity

According to IberChina, the relationship between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping developed within the framework of the concept of “wei ji,” which combines danger and opportunity.

From his campaign onward, Trump generated uncertainty with statements that caused concern in Beijing.

After the election results were known, Xi Jinping made a swift and discreet call to congratulate Trump.

Subsequently, the Chinese government expressed its willingness to work with the new U.S. administration.

China maintained its long-term strategic approach, prioritizing institutional relations with Congress and the Republican Party.

In Europe, Trump held an initial meeting with Ursula von der Leyen during the World Economic Forum.

The meeting was described as a first step to exchange views on trade, technology, and energy.

Both sides agreed to a future meeting in Washington to advance the transatlantic agenda.

Von der Leyen highlighted the historic ties between the United States and the European Union and expressed her intention to work with Trump on shared challenges.

Trump’s Ideological Allies: Milei, Bukele, and Peña

🇺🇸 | When asked how he sees his relationship with Latin America and Brazil, Donald Trump responded:
“Excellent, it should be great. They need us much more than we need them. We don’t need them—they need us. Everybody needs us.” pic.twitter.com/Z2digKsPAt

— ☨ ⚜ Espíritu Templario News ⚜ ✠ (@NonNobis10) January 22, 2025

According to CNN, Javier Milei emerged as Trump’s closest ideological ally in Latin America.

The Argentine leader has openly expressed his admiration for Trump and his alignment with the global right-wing movement.

Trump returned that support with public praise and unusual political backing during Argentina’s midterm campaign.

That support coincided with a decisive victory for Argentina’s ruling party.

In El Salvador, Nayib Bukele positioned himself as another key partner.

Bukele was invited to Trump’s inauguration and became the first Latin American president officially received in the Oval Office.

In return, El Salvador strengthened its role in the migration agenda by accepting deportees at the Terrorism Confinement Center.

In Paraguay, Santiago Peña consolidated a close relationship with Washington.

His government advanced agreements on migration cooperation, defense, and regional coordination.

Security and Drug Trafficking: The Case of Ecuador

Daniel Noboa emerged as a strategic ally on security and the fight against drug trafficking.

The relationship developed amid U.S. pressure to intensify actions against drug trafficking networks.

Ecuador’s government is considering removing the constitutional ban that prevents the installation of foreign military bases.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made an official visit to assess potential locations.

Tense Relations With the Latin American Left

The clearest contrast can be seen in Trump’s relationship with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Lula, one of the region’s historic left-wing leaders, maintained a critical stance toward Trump even before his return to the White House.

In interviews with international media, Lula questioned Trump’s democratic credentials.

He also expressed support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris during the election campaign.

These contrasting relationships underline how Trump’s relations with world leaders are defined less by diplomacy norms and more by ideology, leverage, and direct negotiation.