According to sources from the Associated Press, Washington is recalling 20 to 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy positions around the world. This move is part of a broader overhaul of Trump's revised foreign policy.
Since returning to work in January, Trump has launched a wide-ranging government reform to remove officials from the previous administration of President Biden, while appointing close allies to key positions and realigning the government's policies to fit his "America First" agenda—describing these actions as efforts to cut waste and improve efficiency.
According to sources from the Associated Press, the Trump administration has informed ambassadors from at least 29 countries that their terms will end in January. The notifications were sent last week.
Africa was most affected, with 13 countries including Nigeria, Rwanda, and Somalia being recalled. Asia followed, with eight countries including the Philippines and Vietnam. Four countries in Europe—Armenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia—as well as countries in the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere were also affected. The reasons for the recall of the diplomats were not disclosed.
This action has raised concerns because new presidents usually replace political appointees, while career diplomats traditionally remain in the apolitical foreign service system. According to reports, those recalled did not lose their jobs but were asked to return to Washington for other assignments.
When asked for comments, the State Department said these recalls were "a standard process." It refused to provide details but emphasized that ambassadors are personal representatives of the president and that the president has the right to ensure they advance the agenda he has chosen.
Under Trump's leadership, the U.S. foreign policy has undergone broader changes. He has pushed for mediation between Russia and Ukraine and restored direct ties with Moscow, which had been frozen during the Biden era. He has also reformed trade policies, calling them "reciprocal tariffs," to push partners into new bilateral agreements.
Trump's recently released National Security Strategy outlines more changes, contrasting sharply with Biden's approach, outlining a strict "America First" doctrine and moving away from global interventionism toward a more transactional focus, protecting American homeland, borders, and regional interests.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852266209077251/
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