The geopolitical events with which 2026 has made its debut have made some analysts question their basic understanding of the world order that President Trump has been slowly but surely constructing throughout his second term. As scandalous as it was impressive, Maduro’s capture was not predicted by political commentators. Many thought that Trump’s administration was forced to choose between conventional military intervention and neutrality. Furthermore, Trump’s internal and external political opposition, as well as some relevant voices in the area of policy analysis had basically agreed on two accounts: (i) that U.S. military action in Venezuela would not benefit the American national interest and (ii) that any military intervention would lead to a disastrous regional conflict. Contemporary U.S. restrainers usually argue that military interventions tend to transform into long-term wars and nation-building projects. These anxieties were completely thwarted by the reality of what has been ironically referred to as “the American Special Military Operation”, contrasting the ease and swiftness with which the U.S. has neutralized executive Venezuelan power with Vladimir Putin’s so-called “Special Military Operation”, which has devolved into trench warfare, much too similar to the Western front during WWI. The question is: what is the cause for the short-sightedness that many have shown in regard to the geopolitical actions of the U.S. up until now? I would venture to answer by pointing towards an understudied and somewhat recently published short, yet pivotal, document: the U.S. 2025 National Security Strategy.
About the author:
Sergiu Alexandru Bîsceanu is a 22-year-old philosophy student currently enrolled in a Master’s program in Bucharest. In his theoretical endeavors, as well as in his analysis of concrete matters, he aims at clarity and follows the famous saying of the Roman historian Tacitus: sine ira et studio. Politics, as well as philosophy, permeates our lives, and it is only natural that we should seek a more comprehensive view of the big picture. His goal as an intern at ESGA is to help the readers achieve this sort of analytic clarity.