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Former Biden adviser says Trump's policies are pushing U.S. allies away
Jon Finer argued that allies are reducing dependence on the United States amid shifting global partnerships.
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IANS - Mon, 13, Jul 2026
- 02:15 EDT
- 23
Former Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said U.S. allies are increasingly pursuing strategic and economic independence from Washington. / IANS
Former U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer has warned that countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East are reducing their dependence on the United States, arguing that President Donald Trump's policies are weakening American alliances and imposing economic costs at home.
"The World Is Cutting Ties With America. It's Already Costing Us," Finer wrote in a guest essay published by The New York Times on Sunday.
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Finer wrote that European governments are expanding their defense, energy and technology industries while diversifying economic and strategic relationships with other countries. He pointed to last week's NATO summit in Ankara, where Trump renewed criticism of U.S. allies, including Denmark and Spain.
According to Finer, the trend extends beyond Europe and reflects what he described as the Trump administration's "ostentatious corruption, trade conflicts, military adventurism and mercurial artificial intelligence regulation."
He argued that the result is "a nearly global grand strategy of countries distancing themselves from the world's most powerful nation."
Finer said weakening partnerships are eroding Washington's military, technological and economic advantages at a time of increasing strategic competition with China. He argued that many countries now view greater self-sufficiency as an important source of national strength.
He also cited economic costs stemming from the Iran conflict, including higher gasoline and fertilizer prices. Those increases, he wrote, have contributed to a $132 billion burden on American consumers, citing figures from Moody's.
Finer further argued that Europe's defense spending is increasingly benefiting domestic industries rather than U.S. manufacturers. Although European military spending rose 14 percent to $864 billion in 2025, purchases from American defense companies fell by nearly half, he wrote.
The former White House official also criticized the administration's immigration policies, arguing they have discouraged international travel and education in the United States. He wrote that the country received 4 million fewer international visitors in 2025 than the previous year, resulting in losses of more than $8 billion. International university enrollment also declined 17 percent last autumn, costing U.S. universities at least $1 billion, according to the essay.
Referring to India, Finer wrote that New Delhi is expanding commercial ties with Europe, the Middle East and, "reluctantly," China. He said concerns over reliable access to advanced U.S. artificial intelligence models have also prompted Indian policymakers to explore domestic alternatives or Chinese technology.
"People here say we need to look again at China, or maybe even build our own," a senior Indian official told Finer last year, according to the essay.
Finer also wrote that Canada has established a "new strategic partnership" with China and joined a European defense fund valued at more than $150 billion. He added that Japan is developing stronger offensive military capabilities, while South Korean defense manufacturers are gaining market share previously held by U.S. companies.
While critical of the broader trend, Finer acknowledged that some efforts by U.S. allies to become more self-reliant could ultimately benefit Washington. He said stronger European defense capabilities could eventually allow the United States to redirect military resources to other strategic priorities.
Finer served as deputy national security adviser from 2021 to 2025 during the Biden administration. He is currently a distinguished senior fellow at Yale Law School and the Center for American Progress.
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