Donald Trump offers new insight into foreign policy posture
WASHINGTON (AP) — Confronting doubts about the depth of his knowledge of world affairs, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump delivered a sober speech to a pro-Israel crowd on Monday and outlined for the first time the team of foreign policy thinkers advising his campaign.
Trump has largely avoided the nitty-gritty of policy details during his campaign, focusing instead on boldly-stated goals and declining to say who he counts among his advisers — despite repeated promises to do so.
[...] since the Ukraine crisis erupted more than two years ago, the Obama administration has refused to provide the new, pro-Western government in Kiev offensive military equipment to use against Russian-backed separatists.
Trump has also drawn concerns from Jewish leaders for saying he would attempt to be "neutral" in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a speech delivered from prepared remarks and a teleprompter — a rarity for Trump, who has panned Democrats for using the device —Trump stressed that he is "a lifelong supporter and true friend of Israel."
Trump's remarks largely focused on Iran, calling the deal reached between the Islamic nation and several world powers aimed at keeping it from acquiring nuclear weapons "catastrophic for America, for Israel and to the whole Middle East."
Outside the venue Monday evening, anti-Trump protesters gathered to voice anger over his brash political rhetoric and his attendance at the conference.