Are America's Allies Finally Learning to Deal With Trump? A Conversation With Philip H. Gordon and Mara Karlin

The erosion of the traditional U.S.-led global alliance system during the second Trump term forces international partners to develop independent security strategies, or "Plan B." Former defense and national security officials Mara Karlin and Philip H. Gordon argue that the administration’s transactional foreign policy and threats to withdraw from NATO have shattered the illusion of an ironclad American security guarantee. Allies in Europe and Asia are responding by increasing defense investments, pursuing regional security geometries, and exploring nuclear deterrence options. The ongoing conflict in Iran further illustrates the strategic costs of abandoning global norms, as the U.S. faces diminished basing access and a weakened ability to project power. While the current administration prioritizes unilateralism, the long-term stability of the international order depends on rebuilding these alliances, as a world without principled American leadership increases the likelihood of great-power conflict and economic instability.