As Trade Changes, So Does U.S. Defense
As Donald Trump upends the global economic order, U.S. security policy is changing to meet new commercial needs.
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by Andrew Davidson and Allison Fedirka
May 15, 2025
U.S. military policy seems to be at odds with itself.
On the one hand, the United States has pledged to reduce its global military footprint, and indeed some efforts have been made to lower troop numbers and military aid in certain operational theaters. On the other hand, it continues to bomb targets in the Middle East and involve itself in the Russia-Ukraine war. It even passed a record $1 trillion defense budget for the next year.
But the apparent disconnect is pretty simply explained: Washington is trying to shift away from a global police role and into one of a maritime trade security guarantor.
To some degree, this shift has been decades in the making. But the restructuring of global trade currently underway has expedited the process. Trade wars, tariffs, the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war made countries and companies alike painfully aware of the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of modern supply chains. Dependencies that were once seen as safeguards against conflict are now in themselves sources of dispute.
This has resulted in new trade relationships and, crucially, reshaped maritime routes. The U.S. is refitting its security strategies to these new routes accordingly.
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