International relations theory gives weight to impersonal factors such as the cold calculations of national interest by different states and their cooperation, competition and conflict. But the return of Donald Trump as president, whose actions on trade, technology and security threaten to shake up global affairs, is a reminder that history is also shaped by the agendas and personalities of leaders, including their personal strengths and weaknesses, their idiosyncrasies and their hobbyhorses.

Decisions and actions of national leaders guide international relations. As the UNESCO constitution states, “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”

In high-level diplomacy, personal bonds between leaders can make a significant difference. And Trump is a great believer in the notion that relationships between leaders can positively mold ties between nations.

In his first term, Trump pursued a personalized approach to diplomacy to help shape U.S. relationships with key countries. In 2019, he became the first sitting American president to set foot in North Korea, crossing the Demilitarized Zone for a brief meeting with dictator Kim Jong Un. And the volatile Middle East moved toward stability as Trump, far from starting a new war, brokered the Abraham Accords.

But Trump’s use of diplomacy to steer relationships from confrontation to cooperation and to end wars (like in Afghanistan) came under withering criticism from commentators and opponents, who wanted him to wield American power assertively.

Many world leaders pursue personalized diplomacy. They give diplomatic moves their imprimatur through social media posts under their names.

Understanding the role of personal factors is important in the study of interstate relations. The power of interpersonal relations in........

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