Trump faces major headaches in Qatar and Poland

Entering two large foreign policy areas, absorbing most of the Trump administration’s time and effort in less than 24 hours.

Israel’s air raid on Doha Hamas’s office, and Russian drone invasion of Polish airspace represent two huge headaches for the White House.

Moreover, it can be said to be two major offenses to the president’s authority.

After all, these are conflicts – Ukraine and Gaza – U.S. President Donald Trump said he will deal quickly and decisively.

In each case, he considers it natural, even if the allies in question – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – throwing a huge wrench in the wheel of peace-building in the White House.

Consider timing. The Doha raid comes two days after the Trump administration issued its latest proposal to end the Gaza war.

On social media, Trump told Hamas that this was the last chance.

“I warned Hamas of the consequences that they would not accept,” he wrote in Sunday’s truth. “This is my last warning, and there will be no more!”

In Doha, senior Hamas leaders gathered to consider their response, but Israel did not wait to hear it. The attack not only blew up the latest U.S. proposal, but it could have undermined the entire exquisite building of the Trump administration’s heavily relied on Gaza diplomacy.

Debate on how and when the United States discovered the Israeli raid and whether more could be done to stop it. The existence of Qatar in one of the world’s most important air bases has led many to conclude that it is unimaginable that Washington has not seen the approach of Israeli jets.

But without the green light in Washington – many people think exists – what does this comment on Mr. Trump’s ability to influence Benjamin Netanyahu’s behavior?

Israel has been bending its military muscle in the Middle East for the past two years, following the humiliation at the hands of Hamas gunmen on October 7, 2023, mainly a tacit understanding or clear recognition of the United States.

Israel has established itself as the undisputed hegemony of the region, able to attack with the Will states of Yemen and Iran.

But in both cases, the United States also participated and shared its target – to stop the attack on Israel, transport it in the Red Sea, and to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The attack on Qatar is a key regional ally of the United States, which is another matter.

Donald Trump said he felt “very bad” about it. According to the White House incident, it was too late to provide any meaningful warning to Qatar.

“The unilateral bombing inside Qatar is a close ally of a sovereign state and the United States who are working hard and taking the risk of peace with us has not promoted Israel or the United States’ goals,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

It is not enough to calm doubts about American complicity, but it sounds like real anger.

Mr. Netanyahu was eager to emphasize that this was a “completely independent” action.

In The Washington Post, David Ignatius wrote that while we and Israel promised that Hamas leaders would not attack Hamas leaders in Qatar, the Israelis called it “Operation Fire.”

If such assurance is given, it is inevitable in the Gulf to be regarded as a sign of American weakness.

Then there is Poland.

Less than a month ago, Trump welcomed Putin to the Alaska summit, launched a red carpet, enthusiastically embraced the architects of the Ukrainian war, and a few days later, in a hot microphone, told France’s Emmanuel Macron that Putin “wanted to make a deal for me…it sounds crazy.”

But it’s far from the moves of the deal, and the weeks thereafter have only brought about upgrades. More record-breaking Russian drone and missile attacks against Ukraine are now blatantly invading NATO airspace for the first time.

This is not the first time that the Russian projectile has landed in Poland, but the previous plot is close to the border, which seems to be accidental.

But the invasion in early Wednesday morning was not surprising. Polish officials reported 19 Russian drones, some drones flying to Poland.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament that this is “the closest we have been opening up to conflict since World War II.”

Despite Russia’s denial, the almost universal consensus is that Moscow is a deliberate effort to test NATO’s determination.

And since the United States remains the strongest member of the league, that means testing Donald Trump’s determination.

Compared to his comments on the Doha attack, the president is clearly reluctant to respond.

“The White House’s amazing silence greets him, and it is reported that NATO is engaged for the first time and shot down Russian military assets,” the Kiev Post reported.

Posts about Truth Social did ultimately- inevitably-come.

“Did Russia invade Polish airspace with drones?” the president wrote, somewhat ambiguous: “We’re leaving!”

But his initial silence, coupled with his seemingly unwilling to follow his threat to impose new sanctions on Russia, where the Western allies leaving Ukraine have been: wondering where Donald Trump’s heart lies.

That could change, with European officials working with U.S. peers to coordinate sanctions, the first since Trump returned to the White House.

But, given the president’s previous ambivalence towards NATO, members of the alliance want to assure that Washington can rely on responses when the sovereignty of allies is threatened.

A recent deal allowed NATO members to purchase U.S. military equipment for Ukraine, and members spent more commitments on their own defense to improve relationships within the coalition, while Trump abandoned hostile rhetoric to NATO, which characterized his time in office.

European members of NATO generally admit that they have to do more to take care of their safety. Police Polish airspace is a good example.

But the military and politics of the United States may remain the cornerstone of the alliance and are closely related to the president’s willingness to wield the alliance.

Two days, two conflicts and two puzzles. This has been a test experience for leaders who don’t like or expect to be challenged. Everyone was waiting to see if he had risen to the occasion.