US Engagement With Pacific Island Nations

The United States has, over recent years, significantly deepened its engagement with Pacific Island nations — reopening embassies, renewing funding compacts, and positioning itself as a committed partner in a region of growing strategic importance. Since the return of the Trump administration in January 2025, questions have been raised about the continuity of that commitment, and what a changed US posture means for the Pacific and for the countries that share an interest in its stability. Guest: Professor Alan Tidwell (Director of the Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies, Georgetown University) Recorded on 28th May, 2026.