Dmitry Trenin, a research professor at the Higher School of Economics and the Russian International Affairs Council, who spoke at the Jan. 12 EIR Roundtable Conference called by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, published an article on RT on Friday, Jan. 30 under the title, “America First Goes Global,” with subtitle “America Narrows Its Focus, and Sharpens its Claws.” He analyses the November 2025 National Security Strategy and January 2026 National Defense Strategy released by the Trump Administration, noting that a third report, the Nuclear Posture Review, is expected soon.
Trenin emphasizes the “blunt, almost cynical tone. The usual moral packaging has largely disappeared. That clarity, uncomfortable as it may be, is useful.”
The “rules-based order” is missing, as well as the “missionary liberalism of ‘nation-building’ through regime change.” But, he adds, “Washington is not repenting, but drawing a pragmatic conclusion: attempts to remake other societies in America’s image have proven too costly and too unreliable.”
He claims there is a more fundamental shift: “The U.S. implicitly acknowledges that it can no longer exercise universal control in a multipolar world. Resources must be concentrated. Commitments must be prioritized. Allies are no longer to be indulged as dependents. They are expected to pay more, do more, and demand less political autonomy in return. In effect, Washington is rationalizing its empire.” Thus, this accounts for the title about taking MAGA global.
