TOKYO, November 29. /TASS/. Many are predicting that US President-elect Donald Trump will do away with some of America’s military alliances once he takes office in January, but the reality is that he will not only keep these intact, but strengthen them, in his own Trump kind of way, believes retired Rear Admiral Yasuhiro Kawakami, one of Japan's leading military experts and head of the security studies group at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
"During Trump’s first administration," he noted, "the United States withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris Climate Agreement. Meanwhile, in the realm of security, Washington did not leave NATO or other alliances involving the US, but instead demanded that member states shoulder a greater burden, including financial contributions. The second Trump administration will likely also support the system of military-political alliances, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. However, chances are that Washington will push for significantly higher spending on these initiatives from Japan, Australia, South Korea, as well as India and the Philippines."
"The hardline stance toward China will remain unchanged," Kawakami added. "It is possible that new plans could be introduced in this regard, plans that the Joe Biden administration was either unwilling or unable to pursue."
During a campaign event in August, Trump insisted that every NATO member country should spend "at least 3%" of its GDP on security needs. He described the current 2% threshold as "the theft of the century" and asserted that the US is currently footing the bill for its allies.
In early October, Washington and Seoul agreed to increase South Korea’s share of expenses for maintaining the American military contingent in the southern part of the peninsula by 8.3% in 2026 compared to 2025. The US currently has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea. American and South Korean media speculated that negotiations over shared defense costs were held earlier than usual because Trump’s first administration had reportedly demanded that Seoul increase its financial contributions fivefold.
After his election victory, Trump also held telephone talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the bilateral military alliances between the US and these countries. Trump and Albanese reportedly expressed support for continuing projects within the AUKUS military partnership, comprised of the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.