America’s Allies Are Done Trying to Wait Trump Out

I n 1917, as Canadian troops fought at Vimy Ridge in northern France, Lieutenant Leslie Miller collected acorns from the battlefield and carried them home to Ontario.

Saplings from the resulting oaks were sent back to France about a century later, and became a living link between the two countries.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recounted that story in Strasbourg last week to the European Parliament as he proposed an alliance that went far beyond trade to encompass defense, energy, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence.

The pitch was part of a broader transformation under way among America’s allies.

For years, the strategy among U.S. allies was to wait President Trump out.

Now many are preparing for a world in which the United States is no longer indispensable—not simply during Trump’s presidency but afterward as well, regardless of who occupies the White House.

They are building military capabilities, diversifying trade, developing new domestic industries, and forging relationships that reduce their dependence on Washington.

This isn’t a coordinated revolt against America or a wholesale turn toward China.

Most U.S. partners see Washington as an essential partner and don’t fully trust Beijing.

But nations that were once firmly in the American orbit are concluding that they cannot rely on the U.S. to provide the same leadership, markets, technology, and military protection that it has for decades.

And that, foreign officials told me, is true no matter who wins the presidency in 2028.

The shift may be the most consequential legacy of Trump’s foreign policy .

Since his first term, he has demanded that allies become more self-reliant.

In his second term, Trump has accelerated the emergence of a world in which American influence is less central—and China has more room to maneuver.