Oct 1, 2026 · 18 min
Trump-era policy tests America’s alliances and democratic guardrails
#495 — Foreign Policy for Sale
The conversation examines whether personal loyalty and transactional power are replacing institutions in U.S. foreign policy, with consequences for NATO, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
- 1Applebaum argues that Trump-aligned forces are weakening institutions in favor of personal rule and transactional power.
- 2European governments are rearming while privately questioning whether the United States would honor NATO commitments in an ambiguous crisis.
- 3Ukraine’s battlefield has been transformed by drones and surveillance, while U.S. policy toward Venezuela allegedly empowers criminalized political forces.
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Applebaum argues that U.S. policy toward Venezuela is partnering with criminal actors rather than restoring the rule of law.
The brief
Anne Applebaum frames Trump-era foreign policy as a corruption project: an effort to dismantle institutions and replace them with personal rule and transactional power.
A debate over immigration and Islamism exposes the limits of simple ideological labels, with Poland’s shifting coalitions showing that policy positions do not align neatly.
Europe is rearming amid Russia’s threat and doubts about U.S. reliability, including private questions about whether Washington would honor NATO’s Article 5 in an ambiguous crisis.
On Ukraine, Applebaum describes a largely static front line and a new form of warfare shaped by drones, surveillance, and near-total battlefield visibility.
The sharpest charge comes on Venezuela: Applebaum says U.S. policy has obstructed legitimate opposition while partnering with criminal actors instead of restoring rule of law.