Author: Piper Campbell

Published: June 2026

SINCE US PRESIDENT Donald Trump returned to office, it has not been a question of whether confidence in US commitments to the Indo-Pacific has diminished, but rather what shreds of a security guarantee remain. As headlines in 2025 detailed, jitters over the reliability of US security commitments turned into alarm as East Asian countries were slammed by Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. In the first five months of 2026, US actions such as the raid on Venezuela, discussions about annexing Greenland and war with Iran have further unsettled the region, while policies put forth in documents such as the 2025 US National Security Strategy (NSS) last November and the 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) in January have deepened anxiety.

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The article was published by Global Asia.

The Romanian Institute for Europe-Asia Studies (IRSEA) and Global Asia Forum a Journal of East Asia Foundation. have agreed to enter into an informal agreement on republishing their studies and analysis.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA.