Preview: Intent on breaking with past practice, the Trump administration has questioned the wisdom of U.S. security commitments to allies around the world, all the while escalating its rhetoric with nuclear adversaries. Both these moves undermine longstanding policies aimed at avoiding nuclear proliferation toward U.S. allies. If fully implemented, a U.S. strategy that would decrease the level of U.S. commitment to the security of its allies while increasing the aggressiveness of U.S. goals vis-à-vis nuclear adversaries would likely lead to a cascade of nuclear proliferation that, in turn, would severely undermine U.S. influence and security. These changes in U.S. foreign policy are most visible in Northeast Asia.
