Pentagon policy chief rejects US as ‘great empire’ in Munich push for ‘stability model’
Who benefits from this decision?
Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby said the United States is not looking to “boss” other nations around, and is instead pressing ahead with a more “realistic” foreign policy agenda.
“We’re not looking to boss everybody around. We’re not looking to become this great empire of the world. We’re saying we want to have a favorable balance of power where countries can chart their own future,” he said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
The “America First” strategy is one of “common sense,” Colby contended, saying the pragmatic vision extends to countries such as China, which the administration is “looking at in a clear-eyed way, with the goal of a favorable balance of power and stability.”
“We’re not communists in the Trump administration,” he said. “But it’s also not our job to say what the government of China is.”
Instead, Colby pushed for a “stability model,” where the U.S. ups its military as a deterrence and allies take ownership in respective regions, including by stepping up defense spending and incentivizing foes against forming alliances countering NATO. It’s similar to the foreign policy philosophy Colby espoused when he unveiled the U.S. vision for a “NATO 3.0″ to replace “NATO 2.0” in response to changing world dynamics earlier this week.
“We’re saying, let’s all be in a place where we’ve got a good buffer of assurance,” Colby said. “And of course, the Americans are going to be everywhere, but we’re going to be doing it in a way that’s linked to practical military planning. And then the other side, or whatever, those other powers are all going to see that, and they’re going to say, ‘Today’s not the day. I’m better off going with that stability model that we’re all about, where it’s better to keep jaw-jawing, rather than more warring.’”
Colby said he sees foreign policy similar to running a business, with partners expected to pull their weight in operations and funding. He praised European leaders for increasing defense spending in recent months and expressed optimism at what he’s hearing from NATO partners at the Munich summit, suggesting “momentum” is building in the administration’s favor. Earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told attendees that they need to step up internal partnerships and decrease “excessive dependency” on the U.S., urging them to build a “strong, self-supporting European pillar.”
“Overall, the frame was, I would say, from him, was very much leaning in and saying, ‘Let’s get …
Who benefits from this decision?
Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby said the United States is not looking to “boss” other nations around, and is instead pressing ahead with a more “realistic” foreign policy agenda.
“We’re not looking to boss everybody around. We’re not looking to become this great empire of the world. We’re saying we want to have a favorable balance of power where countries can chart their own future,” he said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
The “America First” strategy is one of “common sense,” Colby contended, saying the pragmatic vision extends to countries such as China, which the administration is “looking at in a clear-eyed way, with the goal of a favorable balance of power and stability.”
“We’re not communists in the Trump administration,” he said. “But it’s also not our job to say what the government of China is.”
Instead, Colby pushed for a “stability model,” where the U.S. ups its military as a deterrence and allies take ownership in respective regions, including by stepping up defense spending and incentivizing foes against forming alliances countering NATO. It’s similar to the foreign policy philosophy Colby espoused when he unveiled the U.S. vision for a “NATO 3.0″ to replace “NATO 2.0” in response to changing world dynamics earlier this week.
“We’re saying, let’s all be in a place where we’ve got a good buffer of assurance,” Colby said. “And of course, the Americans are going to be everywhere, but we’re going to be doing it in a way that’s linked to practical military planning. And then the other side, or whatever, those other powers are all going to see that, and they’re going to say, ‘Today’s not the day. I’m better off going with that stability model that we’re all about, where it’s better to keep jaw-jawing, rather than more warring.’”
Colby said he sees foreign policy similar to running a business, with partners expected to pull their weight in operations and funding. He praised European leaders for increasing defense spending in recent months and expressed optimism at what he’s hearing from NATO partners at the Munich summit, suggesting “momentum” is building in the administration’s favor. Earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told attendees that they need to step up internal partnerships and decrease “excessive dependency” on the U.S., urging them to build a “strong, self-supporting European pillar.”
“Overall, the frame was, I would say, from him, was very much leaning in and saying, ‘Let’s get …
Pentagon policy chief rejects US as ‘great empire’ in Munich push for ‘stability model’
Who benefits from this decision?
Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby said the United States is not looking to “boss” other nations around, and is instead pressing ahead with a more “realistic” foreign policy agenda.
“We’re not looking to boss everybody around. We’re not looking to become this great empire of the world. We’re saying we want to have a favorable balance of power where countries can chart their own future,” he said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
The “America First” strategy is one of “common sense,” Colby contended, saying the pragmatic vision extends to countries such as China, which the administration is “looking at in a clear-eyed way, with the goal of a favorable balance of power and stability.”
“We’re not communists in the Trump administration,” he said. “But it’s also not our job to say what the government of China is.”
Instead, Colby pushed for a “stability model,” where the U.S. ups its military as a deterrence and allies take ownership in respective regions, including by stepping up defense spending and incentivizing foes against forming alliances countering NATO. It’s similar to the foreign policy philosophy Colby espoused when he unveiled the U.S. vision for a “NATO 3.0″ to replace “NATO 2.0” in response to changing world dynamics earlier this week.
“We’re saying, let’s all be in a place where we’ve got a good buffer of assurance,” Colby said. “And of course, the Americans are going to be everywhere, but we’re going to be doing it in a way that’s linked to practical military planning. And then the other side, or whatever, those other powers are all going to see that, and they’re going to say, ‘Today’s not the day. I’m better off going with that stability model that we’re all about, where it’s better to keep jaw-jawing, rather than more warring.’”
Colby said he sees foreign policy similar to running a business, with partners expected to pull their weight in operations and funding. He praised European leaders for increasing defense spending in recent months and expressed optimism at what he’s hearing from NATO partners at the Munich summit, suggesting “momentum” is building in the administration’s favor. Earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told attendees that they need to step up internal partnerships and decrease “excessive dependency” on the U.S., urging them to build a “strong, self-supporting European pillar.”
“Overall, the frame was, I would say, from him, was very much leaning in and saying, ‘Let’s get …
