U.S. Should Focus in the Western Hemisphere

The United States is now engaged in an intense dialogue about the future of its relations with its European and Asian allies. This debate has been emotional, in part because it has been cast as a morality tale. On the one hand, advocates of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America first” agenda argue that allies have not been grateful for U.S. backing and do not deserve the protection of the United States. They believe these states do not do enough to defend themselves and may not even share American values. On the other hand, those who defend the existing alliance structure argue that the United States must be faithful to its commitments and stand by the heroic people of Ukraine and Europe against a revanchist Russia.