Trump’s Foreign Policy: America Is Not Adopting a ‘Spheres-of-Influence’ Doctrine

In the days since U.S. special operations forces plucked Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro from his hideout on a Venezuelan military base, a theme has percolated from the pens of foreign policy elites: The Trump administration’s actions demonstrate that Washington is not only trying to enforce U.S. hegemony in the Western Hemisphere but is also ushering in a world where regions are carved up between the great powers. As author Anne Applebaum wrote in The Atlantic on Monday, “Trump’s pursuit of an illusory sphere of influence is unlikely to bring us peace or prosperity — any more than the invasion of Ukraine brought peace and prosperity to Russians — and this might become clear sooner than anyone expects.”

But is Trump really interested in adopting a spheres-of-influence doctrine as these critics proclaim? No.

About the Author

Daniel R. DePetris

Daniel R. DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a syndicated foreign affairs columnist at the Chicago Tribune.

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In the days since U.S. special operations forces plucked Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro from his hideout on a Venezuelan military base, a theme has percolated from the pens of foreign policy elites: The Trump administration’s actions demonstrate that Washington is not only trying to enforce U.S. hegemony in the Western Hemisphere but is also ushering in a world where regions are carved up between the great powers. As author Anne Applebaum wrote in The Atlantic on Monday, “Trump’s pursuit of an illusory sphere of influence is unlikely to bring us peace or prosperity — any more than the invasion of Ukraine brought peace and prosperity to Russians — and this might become clear sooner than anyone expects.”

But is Trump really interested in adopting a spheres-of-influence doctrine as these critics proclaim? No.