For first time in known history, a U.S. president’s tweets play role in foreign affairs

Canadian diplomats are scrambling to understand the U.S. position on many issues which can change overnight and even hour by hour, tweet by tweet.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump pictured July 7, 2017, at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. Diplomats use their back channels and networks to 'get a definition of something that has been said or get a confirmation that what was said in fact is going to happen,' said Paul Frazer.Photograph courtesy of the German federal government/Denzel

News

BY HUGUETTE YOUNG

July 31, 2017

OTTAWA—Trying to make sense of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tweets is a diplomatic nightmare. It’s the name of the game in Washington, D.C., since Mr. Trump took office in January. His inclination to tweet and vent his frustrations has created a new environment for political watchers and dip...

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