'A hard and fast reality': Trump warned he'll face an 'axis of resistance' in return

Donald Trump's return to the Oval Office will find him confronting quite a different world than when he left after losing re-election in 2020 and there are warning signs already on the horizon he may find what worked for him before won't work this go-around. According to a report from the Washington Post's Dan Balz, foreign policy experts are warning the president-elect that he will find working with foreign adversaries much more difficult and facing what one analyst called, "an axis of resistance" from countries such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. According to Daniel Benjamin, president of the American Academy in Berlin, "That is now a hard and fast reality.” Benjamin added, "Trump’s old playbook involved making believe that, on any given day, he could strike an amazing deal with any of them and be the opposing leader’s best friend. He will confront a world of chaos and conflict: a prolonged war in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin more hostile than ever, and the Middle East still in turmoil after more than 15 months of warfare, with Iran weakened, Syria without Bashar al-Assad and Israel stronger militarily but scarred internationally because of its conduct in the war in Gaza." '"They say, Trump begins with some clear assets to enhance his ability to shape events around the world but with perhaps less room for swagger," Balz added, before pointing out that "Robin Niblett, a distinguished fellow at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, noted, in a more dangerous world, 'the cost of throwing his weight around could be greater.'"