Commentary
An essential basis of international relations is that foreign parties can trust what they say to each other.
If a world leader directly tells another leader a position or stance that his or her country asserts or adheres to, let alone an alleged fact, the other can believe it.
If a nation enters into an international agreement or treaty, then other nations can rely on broad compliance by that nation with the terms of the agreement. Otherwise, international relations are unsustainable.
At its basic, international relations, like all interpersonal relations, rely on trust.
National governments naturally change their positions or adjust to various influences, internal and external, but they usually endeavour to foreshadow changes, often via their diplomats and through other channels, so as not to cause surprise or unintended consequences. Without mutual trust, an international rules-based order cannot be sustained….