The Mighty Middle Powers

This piece revisits a 2023 argument about the critical geopolitical role of middle powers and how they shape international stability. It assesses how the United States has since interacted with these nations, noting a strategy that puts American interests first through both coercion and incentives. The U.S. has compelled European allies to increase defense spending, imposed one-sided trade tariffs, and coaxed them into funding U.S. military equipment for Ukraine. This muscular approach has also been applied in Latin America against cartels and in the Indo-Pacific to promote U.S. economic interests and strengthen alliances.