US Vice President J.D. Vance has stated that the US faces challenges to its power from nations like China and Russia.
J.D. Vance declared the end of the era of unchallenged US global dominance due to increased competition from countries like Russia and China during a speech on Friday to Naval Academy graduates in Annapolis, Maryland.
Vance noted that after the Cold War, US leaders took “American primacy” for granted, assuming no foreign power could rival the United States.
He added that the US had largely uncontested control of air, sea, space, and cyberspace following the Cold War.
Vance cautioned that the global situation has changed, stating, “The era of uncontested US dominance is over. Today we face serious threats in China, Russia, and other nations determined to beat us in every single domain – from spectrum, to lower Earth orbit, to our supply chains and even our communication infrastructure.”
Vance said that after the Cold War, Washington shifted its focus to “soft power” and “meddling in foreign country affairs,” even when they had “very little to do with core American interests.” He added that the Trump administration would end this “decades-old approach to foreign policy.”
He stated that Washington now intends to end “undefined missions” and “open-ended conflicts.”
Trump has expressed interest in helping to resolve the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and the war in Ukraine. The US has been the primary military backer of both Israel and Ukraine during these conflicts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly conditioned ending the war on Trump’s plan to relocate Gazan Palestinians to neighboring countries. Trump has also stated his desire to invest in Gaza and transform it into a resort after the conflict ends.
The current US administration is also reportedly pushing for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict and reducing its long-term military aid to Kiev. Furthermore, Trump has sought to recoup aid funds through a joint mineral exploitation agreement with Ukraine, without providing formal security guarantees.