Tillerson's diplomatic skills confront a world in chaos

President Trump's "America First" foreign policy presents literally a world of challenges for newly confirmed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Senators voted 56-43 largely along party lines Wednesday to approve Tillerson’s nomination to run the State Department.

Senate confirms Rex Tillerson for secretary of State

Here are some of the main issues the nation's chief diplomat and former ExxonMobil CEO will face:

Russia

Trump's move for closer relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin is creating consternation in Congress, with U.S. allies and even among Trump's Cabinet. Tillerson, among other advisers, have expressed concern about Russian aggression, even though he has a personal relationship with Putin from his oil career.

Trump told the Times of London on Jan. 16 that he would consider dropping sanctions on Russia over its seizure of Ukraine's Crimea province in return for an agreement to reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals. He also has agreed to work closely with Putin to defeat the Islamic State in Syria and has questioned an FBI report that Putin ordered a cyberattack to disrupt the U.S. presidential election to help Trump.

On Monday, Czech Republic Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said cyberattacks on his ministry in late 2016 and in January resembled the attack on the Democratic National Committee in the U.S. In addition, fighting in Ukraine between national troops and Russian-backed irregular forces in the east escalated this week.

Many members of the European Union and NATO fear dropping sanctions on Russia would encourage more aggressive behavior by Moscow. Numerous Republicans and Democrats in Congress share that view.

Finding a way to bridge the views of Trump and U.S. allies will require all of Tillerson's diplomatic skills.

Mexico

A bitter dispute with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto over Trump's demand that Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S. border, and Trump's vow to renegotiate terms with one of the United States' biggest trade partners has created a major diplomatic breach between the two countries.

Trump says border wall will 'also help Mexico'

Many Mexicans view Trump as the most hostile U.S. president since James Polk seized large swaths of Mexico in the mid-19th century. Business leaders on both sides of the border also are worried about the future of U.S.-Mexico trade and diplomatic relations.

Enter Tillerson, who spent years cutting deals with government leaders around the world.

Israel

Trump has taken a strongly pro-Israel stance. He has vowed to break with tradition and move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the Israeli capital of Jerusalem. Other countries don't recognize Jerusalem as the capital because Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as their capital of a future independent state. U.S. policy says the future of Jerusalem should be decided in peace negotiations.

In addition, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to Israel, his personal lawyer David Friedman, is a strong backer of Israeli settlements on disputed land on the West Bank who has encouraged the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue expanding construction, which past U.S. administrations have condemned.

If Trump openly supports Israeli settlement activity, he will not only infuriate Palestinians but also upset key U.S. Arab allies in the fight against the Islamic State, such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

But Trump also has said he would love the challenge of negotiating a long-elusive peace deal between Israel and Palestinians.

Tillerson, no doubt would love to be along for the ride.

Iran

Trump has called the Iran nuclear containment deal with the United States and five other world powers “horrible,” and Vice President Pence said it should be shredded. But Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said the deal should be kept in place. “More beneficial at this point is to look at all the aspects of the Iran deal, are they in compliance?” Haley said during her confirmation hearing. “We need to hold them accountable.”

Even if Iran fully complies with the deal, which limits its nuclear capabilities to peaceful purposes, Tehran will likely challenge Trump in other ways. On Wednesday, national security adviser Michael Flynn said "we are officially putting Iran on notice" for a ballistic missile test Sunday and a separate attack by Iranian-backed Houthi militants against a Saudi naval vessel.

If Trump decides to renegotiate the Iran deal, he'll face certain opposition not only from Iran but also from the U.N. and other Security Council members who signed the accord.

Finding a compromise could be one of Tillerson's biggest headaches.

China

Trump has repeatedly antagonized China. He broke U.S. protocol by taking a congratulatory call from the president of Taiwan, which the Communist government in Beijing considers a renegade province. Trump announced on Twitter the U.S. would not be bound by the 1979 “one China” policy, under which the U.S. government has recognized Beijing as the only legitimate government of China.

Trump has criticized China for its military expansion on disputed territory in the South China Sea. He has threatened to counter China’s protectionist trade policy with tariffs on Chinese imports, accused it of undervaluing its currency to boost its exports to the U.S. and faulted China for not doing enough to stop North Korea’s nuclear program.

All that has prompted China's military to declare war with the U.S. more likely during a Trump presidency.

If Tillerson can't keep the peace, he'll have to turn the problem over to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

North Korea

The only world leader who may be more unpredictable than Trump is North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, who has repeatedly threatened the incinerate parts of the U.S. with nuclear weapons if provoked. To back up that threat, North Korea has conducted a number of tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in violation of international law.

Trump has vowed that he won't let North Korea develop a nuclear missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. But he has not said how. He also has raised the possibility of negotiating a deal with North Korea, which has violated two prior agreements with U.S. presidents.

Tillerson may find negotiations with any other world leader easier than dealing with the mercurial Kim.