Scholars have increasingly pointed to the decline of American hegemony and the parallel rise of non-Western powers such as China, India, Brazil, and South Africa. This shift is often interpreted as signaling the emergence of a multipolar order, replacing the unipolar moment that briefly followed the Cold War.
Beyond the relative decline of U.S. power, the broader idea of “the West versus the rest” as a cohesive geopolitical construct is also facing challenges, particularly under the Trump administration.
During the Cold War, the West consolidated as a political, economic, and security community that drew strength in response to the Soviet Union’s military and ideological expansion. This unity endured even after the Soviet collapse. NATO expanded eastward, institutions such as the G7, EU, and OECD coordinated economic integration, and Western influence extended into global institutions including the UN, World Bank, and IMF.
The West’s strategic coherence was further reinforced by a shared commitment to liberal democracy, market economy, and collective security. Countries such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, though geographically and culturally distinct, also aligned closely with this structure.
Under the Trump administration, however, strains within this framework have become more visible. U.S. policies and rhetoric have emphasized border security and civilizational identity, coinciding with the rise of far-right political forces across several Western states.
Differences within the West have also surfaced on issues such as Palestinian statehood, with some European countries supporting recognition while the U.S. has aligned more firmly with Israel.
Critics argue that U.S. foreign policy decisions in recent decades have sometimes undermined the liberal international order that underpinned Western solidarity. Interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, for example, raised concerns about legitimacy, selective application of norms, and unintended consequences for regional stability.
The 2003 Iraq War, in particular, created divisions within the West, as France and Germany opposed U.S. policy, and subsequent developments cast doubt on the evidentiary basis for the intervention.
While the Trump administration has reduced direct military interventions, its approach has nonetheless influenced the coherence of the West. Strong support for Israel, skepticism toward international institutions, and withdrawal from multilateral commitments have been viewed as weakening established norms. U.S. reluctance to fully engage with the International Criminal Court (ICC), culminating in sanctions against ICC judges, further highlighted these tensions.
At the same time, U.S. policies toward nuclear non-proliferation have been seen as inconsistent. While promoting the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Washington and other nuclear powers have faced criticism for not meeting their own disarmament obligations.
The pattern of military action against states suspected of pursuing nuclear weapons has, in some cases, reinforced perceptions that possession of such weapons may serve as a deterrent, as seen in the case of North Korea.
The United States has historically positioned itself as a promoter of democracy, human rights, and a rules-based international order, despite occasional inconsistencies. Under President Trump, however, skepticism toward democratic institutions, imposition of tariffs on allies, reduced development assistance, and closer engagement with authoritarian leaders suggested a departure from earlier traditions of leadership.
These developments have affected U.S. relations with both European partners and other allied states. For instance, limited support for Ukraine has heightened concerns about Russian assertiveness, while strong backing for Israel has created divides over Middle East policy. The cumulative effect has been to make Western solidarity appear weaker and more fragmented than at earlier points in the post-Cold War period.
The West, once viewed as a unified strategic community with strong institutional, political, and security linkages, now faces pressures from both external multipolar competition and internal divergence. While these dynamics cannot be attributed solely to the Trump administration, U.S. policies during this period have accentuated existing fault lines.
As the global order continues to shift, the question remains whether the West can reconstitute itself as a coherent strategic entity or whether its fragmentation will become a more enduring feature of international politics.
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*Senior Lecturer in Political Science, SVM Autonomous College, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha
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