Trump is also reinforcing a hemispheric vision by reviving old tenets of the Monroe Doctrine, implying a heightened focus on Latin America.
By Alfredo García Almeida
Luz Araceli González Uresti, a research professor of international relations at the school of social sciences and government at Tecnológico de Monterrey, described President Donald Trump's geopolitical vision during his second term.
"Trump is advancing a global geopolitical project marked by a deeply nationalist, pragmatic, and, above all, transactional approach," she explained. This project is based on the premises of “America First” and “Make America Great Again” (MAGA), highlighting unilateralism by prioritizing national interests and security over multilateralism and global governance.
In this global reconfiguration, Trump apparently plans to scale back support for Ukraine by pursuing a negotiated solution to the conflict while hardening his stance on Iran and maintaining pro-Israel policies in the Middle East. These shifts come alongside a restructuring of traditional alliances, particularly his demands that NATO members provide greater material and financial contributions.
Trump is also reinforcing a hemispheric vision by reviving old tenets of the Monroe Doctrine, implying a heightened focus on Latin America. This includes forging ties with right-wing governments, such as those in Guatemala and Argentina, while openly criticizing left-leaning and populist regimes.
The professor continued: "As part of these reconfigurations, we're seeing changes in military alliances. With Japan, Trump is strengthening cooperation by restructuring the U.S. military command stationed there. He is also exploring Japan’s potential involvement in the AUKUS alliance, which includes Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Additionally, he is bolstering trilateral cooperation with the Philippines to counter China and North Korea, aiming for greater leverage in the tensions over the South China Sea."
A key aspect of Trump’s evolving global strategy is excluding Ukraine from negotiations with Russia in an attempt to end the war by normalizing relations with Moscow. Furthermore, he has reduced military aid to Ukraine. While he is delivering on previously promised weapons, he has halted new funding. He has also made future support conditional on economic, financial, and strategic concessions, particularly regarding the exploitation of minerals and “rare earth” resources.
Uresti concluded: "Overall, European allies fear that Trump’s proposals could weaken Western unity against Russia. The potential abandonment of NATO’s pledge to integrate Ukraine is viewed as a retreat by the U.S. from efforts to ensure European security.” Trump has insisted that European troops must defend themselves and Ukraine. In short, this stance could profoundly reshape the U.S. role within NATO, shifting the burden of European security onto the continent’s allies and transforming the transatlantic balance."
