What a year it’s been. At long last brave Americans have taken the country back after the disasters stemming from the 2020 election (lets not get started on that). The people have spoken and the most iconic political figure of the 21st century has beaten all the obstacles and has regained power. Fresh off a crushing victory in the election, winning both the electoral vote and the popular vote, Trump returned to the white house to deal with the consequences of the previous administration.
Trump’s return to the white house after 4 years was historic but he has had very little time for celebrations.Trump returned to find a very messy white house that had become insignificant to international policy. Consequently, Trump had to rearrange his priorities and get to work instantly, and among the first priorities on his list was the US’ alliances and foreign policy.
The Biden administration allowed the US to be exploited like never before, coming off as weak in global meetings and negotiations with heads of states. This is why Trump had to fix this instantly. From a firm stand on Ukraine’s never ending aid demands (taken for granted thanks to Biden and Harris), to being clear on real US’ friends who have been mistreated for a very long time due to foolish policies, Trump’s shift in US foreign policy is historic and driven only by the best interests of the United States first and foremost.
This article takes a look at the US’ top 5 allies as we end 2025 and heading to 2026, it also offers a future outlook on who can progress even further in the list.
Honorable mentions:
Trump has ended more than 5 wars just in the past year, consequently the US now has much more allies than we can fit in this list, so we will first look at the countries who just could not quite make it.
Qatar – The Unsung Hero Keeping the Peace
Qatar hosts Al Udeid, our largest Middle East base, over 10,000 troops strong, with Doha footing billions in upgrades like $10 billion pledged this year alone for infrastructure and ops support. Add $1.2 trillion in U.S. investments across energy, tech, and jobs, real economic firepower fueling the MAGA boom. And when Israel struck Doha in September, killing mediators mid-ceasefire talks, Qatar showed ironclad restraint, no escalations, just doubled-down diplomacy to salvage the Gaza truce and hostage deal. They’re the glue in our anti-Iran wall and Trump’s peace push, loyal, loaded, and level-headed. India slides to honorable mention for now; Modi’s Quad work is solid, but Qatar’s the closer ally earning the spot.
Brazil – The Southern Hemisphere Wild Card
Bolsonaro’s back (sort of), and they’re our MNNA since 2019, $10 billion in U.S. ag exports this year, joint Amazon counter-narc ops, and a pivot from China’s Belt and Road to our infrastructure deals. They’re buying our F-39 Gripen upgrades and hosting missile defense talks. Anti-cartel muscle in the hemisphere? Check. But deforestation drama and lingering soy dumps into our markets keep them from the big leagues. Rubio’s pushing a full trade pact, deliver on that, and Rio jumps up.
Poland – NATO’s Lone Wolf (Finally Spending Like They Mean It)
Warsaw’s the exception proving the NATO rule: $47 billion defense budget in 2025, over half funneled straight to U.S. factories for Abrams tanks, HIMARS, and F-35s, making them Europe’s military powerhouse. They’re the only ally outspending us as a GDP share, hosting our rotational troops, and leading the charge against Russian revanchism without the Brussels hand-wringing. Trump called them “true partners” during his Warsaw visit in July, and they’ve pledged to hit Trump’s new 5% GDP target by 2027. No freeloading here. But they’re still tangled in EU red tape on energy and trade, which slows our LNG exports. Step out of Merkel’s shadow fully, and you’re climbing, especially with Vance’s Munich jabs at Europe’s “internal threats” echoing your populist vibe.
With the honourable mentions finished its now time to talk about the 5 biggest US allies at the moment.
5. India – The Billion-Person China Blocker (Now Bigger, Badder, and Finally All-In)
Look, India was already the geopolitical jackpot: 1.4 billion people, a fast-growing economy, and a prime location to box in the Chinese dragon from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas. But in 2025, Narendra Modi stopped flirting and went full commitment.
Here’s what actually moved the needle this year:
- Trade Alignment: Modi slapped 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs and solar panels, then turned around and inked deals with Tesla, Intel, and Micron to build massive plants in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. That’s not just symbolism, that’s hundreds of billions in U.S. capital and tens of thousands of American-designed jobs now anchored in India instead of the CCP’s backyard.
- Military Cooperation: The Indian Navy is running near-constant Quad patrols with U.S., Japanese, and Australian warships through the Malacca Strait—Beijing’s economic jugular. They’re not asking permission anymore; they’re making China pay escort fees in nerves.
- Record-breaking arms buys: $15 billion in U.S. drones (Reapers and Predators), artillery (M777 howitzers), and now co-production of GE F-414 jet engines in Bangalore. That’s the first time since 1962 that India is trusting American tech over Russian junk for its frontline fighters.
- Semiconductor pivot: India just leapfrogged Taiwan on some production lines because Washington fast-tracked export controls exemptions, while simultaneously choking China’s SMIC. New Delhi is now the only non-East-Asian country with full access to cutting-edge American chip tooling.
- Energy realignment: Russian oil imports are down 40% from 2022 peaks, replaced by American LNG and Saudi crude. Modi knows who kept the lights on when Europe was busy virtue-signaling.
Yes, they still hedge a little, old habits die hard, but the trajectory is unmistakable: India is becoming the western anchor of the Indo-Pacific wall against China. A billion-plus consumers hungry for iPhones, Boeing jets, Hollywood movies, and Kansas wheat? That’s the biggest untapped market in human history, and it’s opening wide for American companies first.
Bottom line: India isn’t just a partner anymore. It’s the counterweight that makes Beijing’s “century of humiliation” reversal mathematically impossible. And unlike certain allies who shall remain nameless, when we ask New Delhi to choose a side, they’re increasingly choosing ours, with money, steel, and ships.
That’s why, even with Qatar’s clutch performance, India holds the #5 spot and is climbing fast. Give it another 18 months and they’ll be knocking on the top three.
China’s nightmare just got a billion new faces, and they all speak Hindi.
4. Japan – Finally Acting Like the Heavyweight It Is (Now With Real Muscle and No Excuses)
Japan’s been the sleeping giant of the Indo-Pacific for too long, constitutionally handcuffed, economically stagnant, and letting China nibble at its edges while hiding behind the U.S. umbrella. But in 2025, under the Trump-Vance hammer, Tokyo’s wide awake and swinging.
They’ve ditched the 1% GDP defense cap that’s been a joke since the Cold War, ramped up spending to a projected 2% of GDP (hitting the mark two years early thanks to PM Ishiba’s guts), and turned their Self-Defense Forces into a credible China-choker.
That’s not just numbers; it’s a full-spectrum pivot that’s making Beijing sweat and American workers richer through billions in reciprocal buys.
Here’s the 2025 scorecard that earned them #4, and why they’re the anchor we need for the Pacific firewall:
- Defense Spending Surge: Smashed the 2% GDP target two years early with an $77B budget. $17B a year now flowing straight to U.S. factories for F-35s, Aegis upgrades, hypersonics, and cyber. No more Article 9 excuses.
- Tomahawk Bonanza: 400 cruise missiles ($2.35B deal), first Block IVs already on Aegis destroyers this fiscal year, 1,600-km strike range staring down the Taiwan Strait. The shield just turned into a sword.
- GCAP Fighter Program: Locked in the three-way joint venture with UK/Italy. Sixth-gen stealth jet, drone swarms, adaptive engines. U.S. tech-sharing talks underway. First flight 2031, export-ready, China-denying.
- Fentanyl Crackdown: Leading Quad seizures and sanctions on Chinese precursor labs. 4,300 liters intercepted in May alone. Flows down 40% YOY. Japan’s customs are now the choke point in the Malacca Strait.
- Tariff Judo: Faced 25% auto tariffs and blinked, cut their own barriers, opened markets, and kept the cash flowing both ways.
Bottom line: Japan’s 2025 glow-up isn’t charity, it’s survival math against a revanchist China eyeing Senkakus and Taiwan. From Tomahawk-toting destroyers to GCAP jets swarming with loyal wingmen, they’re the Quad’s steel spine, buying our missiles while sanctioning Beijing’s dope pipelines.
Trump-Vance made ’em choose: fair share or economic pain. They chose wisely, turning potential tariff carnage into a boom for American steel and silicon. The Pacific pivot? It’s anchored in Tokyo, and getting heavier by the month.
3. United Arab Emirates – The Quiet Billionaire Wingman (Now the Gulf’s Ultimate Deal-Maker)
The UAE isn’t flashy like Dubai’s skyline or loud like some of its neighbors, it’s the silent operator that turns handshakes into headlines. Since the Abraham Accords in 2020, Abu Dhabi has been the glue holding Trump’s Middle East vision together: first in line to normalize with Israel, first to pour cash into American factories, and first to call out Iran’s proxies without needing a U.S. babysitter.
In 2025, under the Trump-Vance reset, they’ve doubled down, accelerating a $1.4 trillion investment pledge into AI, semis, and energy that predates the election but got supercharged during Trump’s May Gulf tour. That’s not pocket change; it’s the kind of firepower that funds MAGA infrastructure without raising a dime in taxes.
Here’s the 2025 breakdown that keeps them locked at #3 strategic, loaded, and laser-focused on mutual wins:
- Abraham Accords on Steroids: First to normalize with Israel, now $3.2B in trade + $5B investments, 2,500+ aid trucks to Gaza, hosted the post-ceasefire economic summit, and own chunks of Haifa Port. Peace that pays dividends.
- Cash Tsunami: Trump’s May visit locked in $200B fresh deals on top of a $1.4T pipeline. Etihad’s $14.5B Boeing order alone saves 60,000 U.S. jobs. Bilateral surplus? Ours by $19.5B.
- Defense Muscle: Hosts Al Dhafra (our biggest Gulf base), 3,500 U.S. troops, just upgraded to “major defense partner,” flies with us in the Red Sea, and buys Patriots/THAAD while co-developing drones with Israel.
- China Firewall: Kicked Huawei out, banned TikTok in gov ops, signed U.S. cyber pacts, and scooped 500,000 Nvidia chips. They chose our tech stack, not Beijing’s.
Bottom line: The UAE writes checks, keeps the peace, and blocks Iran & China without making a scene. That’s why they’re the Gulf’s ultimate wingman—and locked in at #3.
2. Israel – Still Family, But Family That Has to Share the Table (With Some Tough Love Required)
Iron Dome intercepts, Unit 8200 cyber intel, and a no-holds-barred push to dismantle Hamas, nobody’s erasing October 7 from the ledger, or the intel goldmine that keeps American lives safe from terror networks. Israel’s the irreplaceable frontline against Iran and jihadists, and that’s why they’re locked in at #2: Shared enemies, shared victories, and a bond forged in fire that no amount of Beltway hand-wringing can break. Locking in the #2 ally status with the US is no mean feat and a cause for celebrations for any country… except Israel.
But here’s the hard truth in 2025, Jerusalem’s got to play team ball if they want to stay in the starting lineup. The new math under Trump-Vance? A trillion-dollar, F-35-armed Saudi Arabia is the ultimate strategic gift, turning the Sunni Gulf into an anti-Iran fortress that buys Israel breathing room without another shekel of U.S. blood or treasure. QME gripes over Riyadh’s jets? Background noise when the mullahs are reeling.
That said, the downgrade from #1 isn’t personal, it’s performance-based, and Israel’s recent fumbles have us raising an eyebrow.
- We Saved You from the Ayatollahs – Where’s the Thank You? June’s Operation Midnight Hammer: seven B-2s dropped 14 bunker-busters on Natanz/Fordow/Isfahan, wiped 80 % of Iran’s nuclear program. Israel opened the door; we brought the sledgehammer. Cost the US billions of tax payer’s money and real risk. Response? Crickets on new investments, just more aid requests while your economy grew 12.4 %.
- The Vance Visit Stunt The US’ VP lands in Jerusalem to lock in Phase Two of the Gaza peace plan. Day one: Knesset rams through West Bank annexation votes 25-24, right in his face. Rightly, Vance was not going to let it slide and said the following “a very stupid political stunt… I take some insult to it.” Trump had to personally slap it down. Don’t torch the Abraham Accords momentum the US just rebuilt.
- Bombing Doha? Really? September: Israel hits a Qatari government compound mid-ceasefire talks, kills Hamas negotiators and a Qatari officer. Our biggest Gulf base host, our mediator, nearly blew the whole deal. Trump forced the apology call. Qatar swallowed it and kept working; Bibi almost handed Iran the region.
- Trump Delivered 3,000 Years of Peace Abraham Accords + Gaza ceasefire + multinational force = the first real shot at stability since Abraham. We “Bibi-sat” the fragile bits. Now it’s Israel’s job to hold the line, no more solo joyrides that spike wars and alienate the Sunnis who just became your new best insurance policy.
Bottom line: You’re irreplaceable on intel and grit, but #2 is performance-based. We bled for you, return the favor with cash, restraint, and team play. Keep acting entitled and the Gulf coalition will lap you. Family first, but family still has to earn the seat.
1. Saudi Arabia – The New King of the Hill
Remember when Biden started his term by calling Saudi Arabia a “pariah,” freezing arms sales, leaking intel reports on Khashoggi, and begging OPEC on his knees for more oil while green-lighting Iran’s cash? That was the fastest way to push the Kingdom straight into China’s and Russia’s arms. Trump fixed it in one phone call. Eight months into the second term, Riyadh is now the cornerstone of everything we’re building: anti-Iran bulwark, energy stabilizer, Ukraine peacemaker, and the single biggest investor in the American comeback. They didn’t just flip, they sprinted back because we finally treated them like the strategic heavyweight they are instead of a moral punching bag.
Here’s exactly why Saudi Arabia just seized the #1 spot and isn’t giving it back:
- Major Non-NATO Ally Status + White House Dinner November 18: Black-tie summit with Trump, Melania, Vance, Musk, Cook. Locked in MNNA designation, opens the spigot for F-35s (up to 48), 300 Abrams tanks, and joint R&D. Israel’s QME preserved, but Riyadh just became the best-armed Arab force in history.
- Cash Tsunami 2.0 Upped the pledge from $600B (May Riyadh summit) to nearly $1 trillion in U.S. investments, AI datacenters, semiconductors, steel, ports, critical minerals. Real jobs in red states, not Davos PowerPoints.
- F-35s & Tanks $142B+ defense package from the May deals now fully green-lit. Downgraded avionics to keep Bibi happy, but still the biggest stealth fighter sale ever to an Arab state. American factories humming.
- OPEC+ Discipline = Putin’s Nightmare Kept oil steady, crushed Russia’s war chest, and kept diesel affordable for American truckers. No more Biden begging sessions.
- Hosted the Ukraine Breakthrough February Riyadh summit (Rubio-Lavrov) and March Jeddah follow-ups delivered the 30-day energy truce and grain corridor restart. Zelenskyy boycotted; it still worked. Saudi prestige skyrockets.
- Quiet Bankroller of the Gaza Ceasefire Coordinated with Qatar/UAE/Egypt, pressured Hamas, funded Phase One hostage deal and reconstruction. Their $ billions are the backbone of the Arab “day after” plan, no tunnels, PA reforms, multinational force.
- The Anti-Iran Wall Sunni coalition (Saudi + UAE + Bahrain + Jordan + Egypt) now openly coordinates with Israel. Iran’s proxies are broke and boxed in. The mullahs are screaming because they know the game is over.
Bottom line: Saudi writes trillion-dollar checks, buys our weapons, starves Putin, brokers peace, and boxes in Iran, all on America First terms. That’s why they’re #1. No drama, no lectures, just results. Deal with it.
Conclusion:
What a difference a year makes.
In just eleven months, Donald Trump and JD Vance have turned a humiliated, overextended superpower into the most feared, most courted, and most prosperous nation on Earth. Five wars ended or frozen. Trillions in new investment flowing into American factories and workers. China boxed in from the Himalayas to the Malacca Strait. Iran’s nuclear program reduced to smoking holes in the desert. Russia’s oil revenue gutted. The Middle East finally experiencing the longest stretch of relative peace in three thousand years.
And the best part? We did it without writing another blank check, without sending another generation of American boys to die in someone else’s sandbox, and without apologizing for putting our own people first.
Look at this Top 5 again:
India – a billion-person battering ram against Beijing
Japan – finally armed to the teeth and paying its fair share
UAE – the billionaire deal-maker who never misses a payment
Israel – still family, but family that’s learning the new house rules
Saudi Arabia – the trillion-dollar heavyweight now wearing the crown
These aren’t the alliances of lectures and guilt trips. These are alliances of mutual respect, mutual strength, and mutual profit. Countries that invest in America get invested in by America. Countries that expect us to bleed alone get the tariff hammer and a cold shoulder.
The freeloaders in Brussels, Berlin, and Ottawa are watching their spots disappear. The lecture-givers at the UN and in the legacy media are screaming into the void. And the American worker, steelworkers in Pennsylvania, coders in Texas, farmers in Iowa—is finally cashing the checks that globalism promised and never delivered.
2026 is already shaping up to be even bigger. Poland is sprinting toward the Top 5. India and Japan are racing each other to #3. Qatar and Brazil are one big move away from cracking the list. And if certain allies in the #2 slot keep acting like it’s still 1995… well, there’s always room to slide.
This is what winning looks like.
This is what America First looks like when it’s fully unleashed.
Get used to it, because the rest of the world finally is.
Make Alliance Rankings Great Again.
