„It sounds ambiguous here because the rest of the speech was focused on the assertion of the United States and American power. It did not say so bluntly that they had to become the main power in the world, but there was quite a lot of that between the lines. The talk of peacemaking, to my ears, was more aimed at the domestic audience,“ Burbulytė-Tsiskarishvili told Elta.
Trump, who took the oath of office on Monday, said he wants to be a „peacemaker and a uniter“ this term.
For his part, Tomas Janeliūnas, professor at Vilnius University's Institute of International Relations and Political Science, believes that such statements do not imply more significant support for Ukraine.
„I don't think it means anything at all. Trump would like to be a uniter and peacemaker, but the key question is, will peace be secured under what conditions? (...) The consensus that the Americans think peace could be achieved in Ukraine is far from being in line with the interests of the Ukrainians and their idea of a just peace. We will see how Trump tries to achieve it in practice“, Janeliūnas told Elta.
„In his inaugural speech, there was no mention of Ukraine or the war in Ukraine; there was a hint that he would be a peaceful president and that America would be judged by what wars it does not start or by how it withdraws from the current ones. This does not seem to mean more support for Ukraine to win,“ he stressed.
Strange mention of the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico
Assessing the speech, Janeliūnas said there were no surprising things in it. However, the decision to mention the move to rename the Gulf of Mexico after the Gulf of America sounded strange to the political scientist.
Trump takes the oath of office and becomes President of the USA: greetings from the country's most influential leaders and the world.
„It is strange that there is a reference to renaming the Gulf of Mexico in the inaugural speech, which doesn't sound very logical or meaningful. The emphasis should be on strategic, long-term ambitions. Still, there are elements of more personal ambition that do not have any influence or meaning in foreign policy,“ he said.
Burbulytė-Tsiskarishvili echoed this view. She said such statements prove his determination to implement his promises during the election campaign.
„What some people thought was a joke has already become a commitment and is already in the inauguration speech. What from the outside some people thought was not very serious, like the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, we can see that immediately in his inaugural speech; he confirms that all that talk was not just an election, a publicity stunt, but that he will strive to put it into practice“, she said.
Earlier, Mr Trump took the oath of office and officially became the 47th President of the United States. Due to the freezing temperatures outside, the swearing-in ceremony took place in the rotunda of the Capitol. The new Vice President, Mr Vance, also attended.
