Everyone but Australia is reconsidering its relationship with America

Across much of the world, governments are rethinking what an alliance with the United States now means. Australia, however, appears determined not to join them.

The shift has accelerated as Donald Trump has moved the United States away from its alliances and into a war that has left many American partners in the Middle East vulnerable to Iranian attacks. Countries are reassessing both the reliability of Washington as an ally and the cost of remaining tied to it.

The unease is also spreading across Europe. The war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Gulf increasingly appear connected, particularly as links between Iran and Russia grow and reports of their technological cooperation on weapons continue. European governments are dealing with Russian incursions into their airspace, drone attacks in Germany and Poland, and alleged interference in political campaigns.

Germany’s state of Saxony-Anhalt is due to vote this weekend amid allegations of heavy Russian interference. The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is predicted to win a large majority. Because the party opposes support for Ukraine and is sympathetic to Russia, such a result could increase pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz to change Germany’s policy, just as European states are trying to compensate for reduced American support for Ukraine.

The article’s central criticism is that countries across Europe, the Middle East, the Baltics, South Asia and Asia-Pacific are pragmatically reorganising themselves around a diminished American role, while Australia carries on as before. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles appeared in Washington beside Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth and announced a further increase in the US military presence in Australia.

Under AUKUS, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom are meant to cooperate on nuclear-powered submarines. The arrangement initially envisaged the transfer of US submarines to Australia, followed by technology for Australia to build the SSN AUKUS class with Britain. The article presents the latest US military expansion as evidence that Canberra is deepening the relationship while others are questioning it.