Instead of disengaging to focus on China, Trump’s America is more deeply involved in Europe’s defence and the Middle East than before
Half a year into Donald Trump’s second US presidency, a stark reality confronts Washington: the grand vision of an unprecedented focus on countering China, heralded by his strategists and supporters, has faltered.
The fundamental premise that America could dramatically disengage from Europe and the Middle East, freeing up resources for a singular containment strategy against Beijing, has collided against a resistant world. Instead of pivoting to pursue China, Trump finds himself owning the very conflicts he vowed to end, draining American power and granting Beijing breathing room.
Instead of extricating America to focus eastward, Trump compounded its entanglement. The volatile region now demands constant vigilance, diverting military assets and diplomatic bandwidth – another drain on US strategic reserves.
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