Australia finds itself at a geopolitical inflection point as shifting United States policy under President Donald Trump challenges long-standing assumptions about international alliances and the rules-based order that underpins global security and economic cooperation.

In a recent commentary, Zoe Daniel, a former foreign correspondent and political figure, contends that emerging patterns in American foreign policy represent a ‘‘new normal’’ that leaves allied nations such as Australia materially exposed and strategically marooned.

Daniel’s argument centres on actions and rhetoric from the U.S. that, she asserts, have undermined the trust and predictability that characterised post-World War II Western alliances.

She points to episodes this year — including public clashes with European partners over strategic issues such as Greenland, trade and defence — as symptomatic of a broader American shift away from multilateral engagement toward transactional bilateralism and unilateral gestures.

Under this ‘‘new normal,’’ Daniel suggests that traditional mechanisms of collective security, once viewed as bedrocks of global stability, are fraying in the face of unpredictable U.S. leadership.

The commentary draws on observations made at global forums, where France and other European states have publicly confronted Washington over its approach to allied cooperation and mutual obligations.

Daniel warns that, should such trends continue, the foundations of institutions like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and by extension wider networks of security cooperation, could be significantly weakened.

This evolving context, she argues, has direct consequences for Australia, whose strategic and defence architecture is deeply intertwined with that of the United States through pacts such as AUKUS and the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.

According to Daniel, Australia’s current posture, heavily reliant on the United States as its principal ally, now faces tension between historical assumptions of reliable partnership and the emerging unpredictability in U.S. foreign policy.

She urges Australian policymakers to confront this reality, reassessing traditional dependencies and exploring partnerships with ‘‘middle powers’’ and regional actors that might offer greater strategic resilience.

Daniel references recent shifts in Canadian foreign policy as an example of proactive adaptation to what some leaders describe as an evolving global order.

Australia’s policymakers and strategic planners have not publicly signalled an imminent pivot from existing alliances, but discussions about the nation’s defence posture and regional role have grown more prominent in Canberra’s policy discourse.

Daniel’s commentary adds to that debate, highlighting concerns that the strategic environment is rapidly changing and that Canberra’s options will be shaped by how effectively it recalibrates its relationships in a world where the United States no longer appears to unambiguously champion existing multilateral frameworks as it once did.

Whether Australian leaders adopt Daniel’s prescriptions remains to be seen, but her analysis underscores intensifying debate within parts of the foreign policy community about how best to safeguard Australia’s interests amid divergent global currents and the evolving character of traditional alliances.