The ‘Foreign Policy Consensus’ Is Alive and Well in Washington

by José Niño, Libertarian Institute

Brian Berletic, a former U.S. Marine now residing in Thailand, believes something bigger might be at play with Trump’s foreign policy agenda. The talk of foreign policy restraint vis-a-visa Russia is merely a facade. Berletic pointed out that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “division of labor” framework during his February 2025 address in Brussels will only increase tensions with Russia.

European allies would take greater responsibility for the Ukraine conflict while the United States pivots toward confronting China. The United States isn’t truly ending conflicts but merely shifting priorities. The Trump administration, like its predecessors, is primarily concerned with maintaining global primacy rather than genuine peace.

Berletic has aptly described Trump’s adherence to the establishment’s hegemonic foreign policy consensus as a “continuity of agenda.” Berletic’s “continuity of agenda” argument extends to United States-Iran relations. Trump’s ultimatum, delivered via a March 2025 letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stipulates that Iran must agree within two months to:

1. Terminate all uranium enrichment activities, including the closure of facilities enriching uranium to 60% purity—a level nearing weapons-grade.
2. Dismantle its nuclear infrastructure, including centrifuges and research sites, under verified International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections.
3. Cease development of ballistic missiles and armed drones, which the U.S. claims could deliver nuclear warheads.
4. End support for regional proxy groups (the “Axis of Resistance”), including Yemen’s Houthis and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.