Donald Trump Scores Four Diplomatic Victories
The family of the final American citizen held captive by Hamas in Gaza has thanked Donald Trump following news their relative would be released, delivering the latest foreign policy boost for the U.S. president.
In a statement to Newsweek via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, relatives of American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander expressed "deepest gratitude to President Trump" and his administration for its work in securing his release following his capture on October 7, 2023.
It delivers more good news for the Trump administration, with a ceasefire between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan; the prospect of talks between Kyiv and Moscow over the war in Ukraine, and the announcement of a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs between China and the U.S.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
With a bulging foreign-policy in tray, Trump has faced pressure over efforts to end the war in Ukraine, his recommendations for the Gaza Strip and the trade war with China.
The developments offer a diplomatic boost to Trump ahead of his tour of the Middle East.
Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades military wing spokesperson Abu Obeida said that Edan Alexander will be freed on Monday from the Gaza Strip.
Trump was thanked in a statement by Alexander's family which said "on Mother's Day, we received the greatest gift imaginable—news that our beautiful son Edan is returning home after 583 days in captivity in Gaza."
"We express our deepest gratitude to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the US administration for their tireless work to make this happen," the statement shared with Newsweek said, adding that the release should spark negotiations over the remaining 58 captives taken in Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The move help U.S. efforts to revive a stalled Gaza deal following the collapse of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire in March, which had stopped hostage releases including an earlier Hamas pledge to free Alexander.
Following negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, the White House announced a trade deal with China. sparking hope of a de-escalation in the trade war and relief for the global economy.
Trump had imposed 145 percent tariffs on Beijing, which responded with 125 percent levies on U.S. goods.
But U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said both sides agreed to pause their reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, bringing their rates down by 115 percentage points.
The deal would see tariffs imposed on Chinese goods fall to 30 percent, and those imposed on U.S. goods by Beijing to 10 percent, with further negotiations underway.
Bessent said on Sunday that trade talks had been "productive" and the mood music from Beijing was also positive with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng touting "substantial progress."
The fact that China had agreed to the talks had already delivered a win to Trump, according to Craig Singleton, senior fellow at Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), based in Washington, D.C.
He told Newsweek on Monday the deal marked a "tactical reset" rather than a strategic realignment and that "Beijing appears to have blinked, and Washington responded in kind."
He said it was striking how quickly it happened—suggesting both sides were more economically boxed in than they let on.
For China, the economic pain was real with rising unemployment, capital flight, and export orders falling at their fastest rate in nearly two years, he said, while for Trump, markets mattered, and this deal gives him a win without abandoning leverage.
However, Singleton said deep structural rifts remained and it was a truce, not a treaty.
Trump was the first to announce a truce between Pakistan and India, following U.S.-talks. Although hours after the agreement was announced, India accused Pakistan of "repeated violations," as of Monday, the ceasefire appeared to holding.
It followed fears of an escalation between two nuclear powers in which clashes, missile and drone strikes took place across their borders, sparked by a gun massacre of tourists last month that India blames on Pakistan, which Islamabad denies responsibility for.
Trump praised the leaders of both countries for agreeing to halt the aggression, posting on Truth Social he would "substantially" increase trade with them.
He also said he would work with both sides to see if "a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir."
Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan each rule a part of Kashmir but claim the region in full.
Pakistan's foreign ministry welcomed Trump's post and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was "extremely grateful" to the president for his "most valuable offer" to play a greater role in bringing lasting peace.
Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky said on X, formerly Twitter, he was ready to travel to Istanbul on Thursday, where he said he will be awaiting to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin "personally."
Zelensky's post came shortly after Trump had told him to accept the Russian president's proposal of direct talks.
Putin's proposal followed a demand by Kyiv's allies on Saturday that Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face "massive" new sanctions. This position was endorsed on Sunday by Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg.
Mark Galeotti, senior associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute said on the "In Moscow's Shadows" podcast one reason for Putin's offer could be the Russian leader could be trying to win back Trump's favor.
This would make sense if Moscow had some hint that the White House is going to be more specific about what walking away from talks means as it has threatened, he added.
Edan Alexander family, via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum: "On Mother's Day, we received the greatest gift imaginable—news that our beautiful son Edan is returning home...We express our deepest gratitude to President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the US administration for their tireless work to make this happen."
Craig Singleton, senior fellow at Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD): "For Trump, markets mattered, and this deal gives him a win without abandoning leverage."
The diplomatic developments give Trump a boost as he starts his trip to the Middle East on Monday in his first major foreign trip of his second presidency during which he is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
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