WASHINGTON If the environmental implications of the United States pulling out of the Paris climate agreement werent stark enough, just as consequential is the impact it will have on the ability to work with allies around the world.

The agreement to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions brought together more than 190 nations . In refusing to take part, the United States joins just two others Nicaragua and Syria (the former because its leaders didnt think the agreement was strong enough ; the latter because its in the middle of a brutal civil war ).

Trump said Thursday he would exit the accord which he insists punishes the United States but left open the idea the U.S. could negotiate our way back in to Paris or potentially work to reach some other deal entirely.

We will all sit down and well get back into the deal and well make it good, said Trump.

World leaders, who have been negotiating a global agreement for 25 years, of course may differ on that point.

The Paris announcement doesnt come at a great time for the Trump administration, diplomatically speaking. European leaders reception of Trump last week was chilly, making it clear they arent very enthusiastic about working with the U.S. This was emphasized even further in the readout from the G-7 summit, wherein the six other nations explicitly distanced themselves from Trump on climate.

The real problem today and the real sadness is the death blow to the international credibility of U.S. leadership, said Christina Figueres, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The blow to the international credibility of the United States cannot be underestimated.