WHEN TWEETS BECOME TREATIES: SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE NEW DIPLOMACY

Diplomacy since the olden days had always been discussed in closed and elite meetings and sealed with handshakes hidden from public view. But today, it often unfolds 280 characters at a time. Social media has transformed international politics into a double-edged sword. While it promotes transparency and connection, it also accelerates crises, and drags fragile diplomatic relationships into the volatile court of online opinion.

- ANINDITA MAHAPATRA

LEADERS IN THE TIMELINE

During the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was noted to address Ukraine's state of internal security through viral video messages filmed in war-torn Kyiv, instead of using formal press releases. This decision did pan out to carry more diplomatic weight than many formal methods. By framing the conflict as a moral tussle and using graphic visuals to portray a realistic image, foreign governments were compelled to act.

Furthermore, Donald Trump's recent usage of social media added a new dimension to the popularity of social media in the new age of diplomacy. By making ‘Truth Social’ his primary channel for foreign policy, Trump often bypasses traditional diplomatic channels entirely. His recent bombardment of posts targeting India and Russia demonstrates the disruptive potential of this approach.

On July 31, 2025, Trump wrote: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

He followed that up by accusing India of maintaining some of “the highest tariffs in the world” and complained that “we have done very little business with India”. He proceeded to criticise India’s trade relations with Russia and its role as one of Moscow's top energy customers. These posts got viral across all media platforms, creating global sensationalism, which eventually rattled New Delhi, straining a partnership that had steadily deepened over two decades.

By transforming social media into a platform for personal feuds and impulsive policy declarations, Trump illustrates the dangers of leader-driven digital diplomacy. Unlike official press releases, his posts arrive unfiltered, emotional, and with immediate global consequences.

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