With his decision to pull some US troops from Germany, his threats to draw down forces elsewhere in Europe and his downplaying of recent attacks on an important Gulf partner, President Donald Trump’s latest moves foreshadow what could be the war’s enduring legacy: the fraying of ties with key allies.
Even as the US and Iran inch toward a potential off-ramp, Trump’s words and deeds have revived fears among Washington’s long-standing friends — from Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific — that the US might be unreliable in a future crisis.
In response, some traditional US partners are starting to hedge their bets in ways that may bring long-lasting changes in relations with Washington, while adversaries such as China and Russia are looking to exploit strategic openings.
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