Every year has a word that speaks to the political moment. In 2010, amid Europe’s debt crises, it was “austerity.” In 2024, after the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental disasters, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, it was “resilience.” In 2026, another word has come to dominate the language of national security: “self-reliance.”
As war spreads, confidence in the international order erodes, and the United States shuns longtime alliances in favor of a more transactional and militaristic foreign policy under President Donald Trump, leaders around the world are promising to make their countries less dependent on others. Although the paths to self-reliance vary significantly from country to country, they share a common goal: to have enough defense capabilities to be able to survive alone in a time of conflict.
Every year has a word that speaks to the political moment. In 2010, amid Europe’s debt crises, it was “austerity.” In 2024, after the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental disasters, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, it was “resilience.” In 2026, another word has come to dominate the language of national security: “self-reliance.”
As war spreads, confidence in the international order erodes, and the United States shuns longtime alliances in favor of a more transactional and militaristic foreign policy under President Donald Trump, leaders around the world are promising to make their countries less dependent on others. Although the paths to self-reliance vary significantly from country to country, they share a common goal: to have enough defense capabilities to be able to survive alone in a time of conflict.
