Seismic shift in US foreign policy

In a recent episode of Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN, the renowned analyst quoted the defence minister of Singapore as stating that, "the image of the United States has changed from liberator to great disruptor to a landlord seeking rent." He noted that in the last few weeks, Trump's administration has triggered a revolution in foreign policy by abandoning its ally Ukraine for a substantial share in mineral wealth. Zakaria further expressed that this seismic shift in US foreign policy extends by imposing tariffs on Ukraine's allies, demanding control over the Panama Canal, labelling Canada as the 51st state, and attempting to buy Greenland. Trump's unilateral foreign policy actions also include withdrawing from World Health Organization, ceasing US foreign aid programmes, and curtailing ties with NATO. This dramatic turnaround, according to Zakaria, marks a revolutionary shift in the US foreign policy and will have far-reaching implications - such as abandoning allies and a progressively closer relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Critics warn that Trump's reversal of 80 years of US foreign policy reflects a dangerous path and may compel Germany and Japan to go nuclear. Termed as a 'Christmas and New Year's gift' to Russia and China, Trump's second administration's reversal on Ukraine and NATO is reshaping global order. Without going to war, Russia has managed to neutralise the US and mitigate its role in NATO. Established on April 4, 1949, NATO has provided essential US security in Europe for 80 years. But within the last two months, Trump's anti-NATO narrative has forced European allies to establish security measures against the perceived Russian threat. For eight decades after World War II, the US acted as a buffer in Europe and Asia by forging security alliances and maintaining its military presence in demilitarised Germany and Japan. But with the withdrawal of American security, Germany and Japan are considering going nuclear by amending their constitutions which forbid them to do so. Until now, the role of US protection was never questioned by its allies. However, Trump's criticism of US financial spending on NATO, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan has led to a paradigm shift in American foreign policy. In an article titled "Comrade Trump" published in Foreign Policy magazine, security analyst Edward Lucas calls Trump a "Russian asset", writing: "The case for motivation and opportunity are easily made. Two retired Russian spies allege that Trump was compromised on his trip to the Soviet Union in 1987 and given the codename 'Krasnov'. Trump could well have succumbed to the KGB's trademark cocktail of flattery and blackmail on that trip. In the space of eight weeks, Trump has undone eight decades of work in building American power in the world. Gutting foreign aid, for example, does more than practical damage to humanitarian causes." Similarly, the March 8, 2025 issue of Milwaukee Independent published a report titled, 'A Russian asset: Trump's policy behaviour confirms evidence he was groomed by the Kremlin since the 1980s' states: "Veteran journalist Craig Unger has tracked Trump's relationships with Moscow for years. He laid out evidence that Trump was carefully groomed as a Russian asset beginning in the 1980s. Less than a week after the bombshell report, Trump dismissed Ukraine's pleas and embraced Vladimir Putin's narrative on Eastern Europe. His statements cemented the idea that a decades-long foreign plot had successfully infiltrated the Oval Office, transforming the United States into a vessel for Moscow's ambitions. Trump is the perfect case study: a vain businessman turned politician who lavishes praise on Putin and habitually scorns U.S. allies, all while calling it "America First". Nowhere is this alignment clearer than in Trump's shameful treatment of Ukraine. Since retaking office on January 20, 2025, he has refused to provide meaningful assistance to a nation besieged by a Russian military onslaught that has reduced entire cities to rubble." The suspicion of Trump's alignment with Russia is a major destabilising factor in US foreign policy. If the White House is influenced by Moscow, it will raise concerns about Vice President JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, being planted by Putin. The US foreign policy shift under Trump needs to be analysed from three key angles: 1. Trump's Growing Ties with Putin For many Americans, Trump's tilt towards Moscow, particularly in favour of Vladimir Putin, is unpardonable. By abandoning Ukraine and holding Kiev responsible for initiating the war, Trump has deepened fears of Russian influence within the White House. Senator Bernie Sanders remarked that Trump's close ties with Russia come at the expense of European allies, particularly Ukraine, and will isolate America in global affairs. That Trump and his Vice President's affinity for a dictator will undo 80 years of US support for its allies. Will China not exploit Trump's anti-NATO stance for its longstanding ambition of taking control of Taiwan? Trump, who proudly calls himself a dealmaker without principles, would possibly strike a deal with Communist China and compel Taiwan to accept its forced unification with Beijing. If Trump is willing to ask Ukraine to cede territory occupied by Russia since 2014 and accept Moscow's dominance, he could do the same with Taiwan. 2. The Cost to US Global Affairs The seismic shift in the US foreign policy will cost America its economic, military and technological edge in global affairs. Despite America's past policy of isolation, it has played a leadership role in world affairs for decades. It has spent trillions of dollars on its wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, while also protecting its European and Asian allies from communism and various other threats. All these material and physical sacrifices were undone when Trump questioned American spending on NATO, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The vacuum created by retiring American influence will likely be filled by Russia, China, India and other emerging powers. 3. Domestic Economic Consequences Finally, the US foreign policy withdrawal from Europe and Asia is bound to have serious domestic implications. The US military-industrial complex, which has benefitted from an annual defence budget of $900 billion, will lose its power. And the imposition of tariffs on Canada, China, India and EU countries by the Trump administration will lead to retaliatory measures that cause severe inflation and price hikes in America.

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