As 2025 comes to a close and we prepare to ring in a new year, WPR reached out to our columnists to ask what trends they’ll be keeping an eye on in 2026. The first installment of this year-end series is below. Part two will be published on Jan. 2.
Daniel Drezner, distinguished professor of international politics and academic dean at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy: The United States—specifically, the Trump administration—was the biggest disruptive force in world politics over the past year. With its wholesale reorientation of U.S. foreign policy, the new administration succeeded in throwing other global actors off balance. In 2026, I will be watching for any signs of a backlash, and whether that backlash will affect the relative standing of great powers in the world.
Will U.S. partners and allies continue their policy of appeasement toward the Trump administration? For some countries, the lack of a better option means the answer will likely be yes. But as the revolution in U.S. foreign policy continues, European allies might (finally) get serious about hanging together so as to avoid hanging separately in the security sphere. Similarly, Latin American countries might need to weigh their options as the “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine comes into focus. And China could seek to exploit such geopolitical fissures to advance its own interests.