Trump’s new security strategy exposes the limits of NZ’s ‘softly-softly’ diplomacy

President Donald Trump’s newly released National Security Strategy marks a historic break from the post-1947 US foreign policy framework, declaring that the 'West as we knew it no longer exists' and that Europe faces 'civilisational erasure.' The document asserts that European Union states should take primary responsibility for their own defense while the US focuses on its 'Western Hemisphere.' It prioritizes great-power management by the US, China, Russia, India, and Japan, rejecting multilateral institutions unless they serve direct US interests. This shift challenges New Zealand’s longstanding support for a rules-based international order. Despite this, the current New Zealand coalition government has adopted a 'softly-softly' approach, avoiding public criticism of Trump’s actions toward allies like Canada, Mexico, and Denmark, and remaining silent on issues such as Gaza and trade protectionism. This strategy failed to prevent a 15% tariff on New Zealand exports to the US, highlighting the limitations of quiet diplomacy in the face of Trump’s revisionist policies.