Successful diplomacy looks a lot like a duck swimming: From above, the viewer’s usual perspective, all is smooth as the bird glides across the surface of the water. Underwater, invisible to the naked eye, there is frantic movement that propels the fowl forward.
That analogy has been foremost in my mind as Japan struggles with the Trump administration’s reversal of policy toward Ukraine and Russia and the president’s mounting suspicion of U.S. allies. Officially, all is okay, with government officials from the prime minister down proclaiming their confidence in Japan’s ally and security guarantor.
Beneath the surface, however, growing anxiety is prompting experts to begin pondering previously unthinkable questions. The damage to the Japan-U.S. relationship is hard to see, but is substantial nevertheless; the trust and confidence that are the bedrock of the partnership may never be restored.
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