The Trump administration’s newly released National Security Strategy outlines its vision for domestic and foreign policy. The document identifies Europe’s self-destructive trajectory while also revealing an alignment with neoconservative foreign policy principles.
The strategy states that America’s current foreign policy has been a disaster due to elites who overestimated the nation’s ability to fund both a large welfare system and a massive military-industrial complex simultaneously. It acknowledges that while the Founding Fathers were noninterventionists, modern circumstances make rigid adherence impractical.
Described as “pragmatic without being ‘pragmatist,’ realistic without being ‘realist,’ principled without being ‘idealistic,’ muscular without being ‘hawkish,’ and restrained without being ‘dovish,’” the administration’s approach seeks to prevent a world where wars threaten American shores. The strategy asserts that the United States must maintain global balances of power to avoid any nation becoming dominant.
The document details plans for U.S. intervention in the Middle East to oppose adversarial powers controlling critical resources and in Latin America through a “Trump corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, ensuring American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere. It also addresses Europe’s decline, noting that European leaders have unrealistic expectations regarding Ukraine.
Specifically, the strategy states that U.S. mediation efforts in Ukraine are vital for European stability, as European leaders have “unrealistic expectations for the war perched in unstable minority governments.” The administration aims to negotiate an expeditious cessation of hostilities in Ukraine to stabilize economies and prevent unintended escalation.
