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From Climate Change to Iran, Obama, the Master Diplomat, Has Boxed Trump In

From Climate Change to Iran, Obama, the Master Diplomat, Has Boxed Trump In
Former U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech during the Fourth Congress of Indonesian Diaspora, Jakarta, Indonesia, July 1, 2017 (AP photo by Achmad Ibrahim).

Who would you nominate as the most consequential figure in international diplomacy in 2017 so far?

There are quite a few credible candidates. Donald “Slayer” Trump has made quite an impact since becoming U.S. president in January. German Chancellor Angela “Status Quo” Merkel still weighs in as the most serious defender of liberal internationalism. Her French counterpart, Emmanuel “Daft Punk” Macron, sure has the makings of a global superstar.

Yet there is an argument that the most influential diplomat this year has actually been an old-time favorite who has ostensibly left the geopolitical stage: Barack Obama.

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