Washington’s Ironclad Commitments Are Rusting in the Indo-Pacific

The recent wave of meetings between U.S. officials and allies in the Indo-Pacific have been studies in the duality of American diplomacy under President Donald Trump. Although headlines have focused on mounting American calls for allies to spend more on defense to counter China, the drama of intra-alliance affairs has been offset by an undercurrent of relief. Unlike the vitriol directed at NATO allies, Washington’s pressure for Pacific partners to do more underscores their centrality in U.S. security thinking and has helped assuage regional apprehensions of abandonment.While the Trump administration’s affirmations of Washington’s defense commitments are welcomed, the relative relief

The post Washington’s Ironclad Commitments Are Rusting in the Indo-Pacific appeared first on War on the Rocks.