Dec 31, 2025
Gemma Cheng'er Deng
and Jim O'Neill
The world is shifting from a largely hegemonic international system to a more fragmented, contested, and multipolar set of arrangements. In this environment, the central question for the West is not how to revive a dying order, but how to operate credibly and responsibly in one where influence must be shared.
LONDON – The release of the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy marks a pivotal moment for the United States and the West. The US has recast its global role around a narrower set of core priorities, emphasizing industrial revitalization, resilient supply chains, and strategic competition, while also signaling that traditional allies must shoulder greater responsibility for their own security and economic fortunes.
