The US “Burden Sharing Network” Takes Shape

The US has for decades used its global network of client states as an extension of its own political, economic, and military power. As Russia reemerges, China rises, and the multipolar world continues to displace the US’ ill-gotten and abused global power – the US will admittedly need to squeeze these client states further.

The 2025 US National Security Strategy openly calls for a “burden sharing network” to extract more resources from US client states than ever before – but as illustrated by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in the directive he delivered to Europe in early 2025 – to do so will require convincing the populations of US client states of sufficient “threats” facing them.

References:

NEO – The US “Burden Sharing Network” Takes Shape (Sep. 15, 2026):

The US “Burden Sharing Network” Takes Shape

The New Atlas – DEEP DIVE: New US “National Security Strategy” is Repackaged Wolfowitz Doctrine (Dec. 2025):

DEEP DIVE: New US “National Security Strategy” is Repackaged Wolfowitz Doctrine

The New Atlas – US National Security Strategy 2025: The Pursuit of Primacy Repackaged (Dec. 2025):

US National Security Strategy 2025: The Pursuit of Primacy Repackaged

US White House – National Security Strategy (Nov. 2025):
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content…

CFR – Unpacking a Trump Twist of the National Security Strategy (Dec. 2025):
https://www.cfr.org/articles/unpackin…

US Department of Defense – Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Feb. 2025):
https://www.war.gov/News/Speeches/Spe…

BBC – Will Starmer’s plan for defence help UK hit Nato’s spending target? (Jun. 2026):
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0…

Politico – Germany ramps up defense spending in new budget plan ahead of NATO summit (Jul. 2026):
https://www.politico.eu/article/germa…

Reuters – France flags 2027 budget squeeze as defence and debt costs surge (Jul. 2026):
https://www.reuters.com/business/fran…

NYT – The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin (2024):
https://archive.ph/ReEFs

NYT – The Partnership: The Secret History of the War in Ukraine (Mar. 2025):
https://archive.ph/dzZnw

NYT – The Separation – The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership (Dec. 2025):
https://archive.ph/8s49D

France 24 – Ukraine: How a kamikaze drone partially operated by AI is attacking Russian convoys (Jun. 2026):
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20…

Bloomberg – Europe to Send Kyiv US Air Defenses for Russian Winter Blitz (Sep. 2026):
https://archive.ph/TbZMg

Canada Government – Canada-Ukraine declaration for a 100-year partnership (Sep. 2026):
https://www.international.gc.ca/count…

Axios – Scoop: MBS urged Trump to strike Houthis amid Red Sea threat (Sep. 2026):
https://www.axios.com/2026/09/11/hout…

NYT – Arms Sales to Saudis Leave American Fingerprints on Yemen’s Carnage (2018):
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/25/wo…

Breaking Defense – US clears $5B in JDAMs for Saudi Arabia, other Middle East deals (Sep. 2026):
https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/u…

Vox – The US may still be helping Saudi Arabia in the Yemen war after all (2021):
https://www.vox.com/2021/4/27/2240357…

NYT – Army Special Forces Secretly Help Saudis Combat Threat From Yemen Rebels (2018):
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/03/us…

CNN – EXCLUSIVE: US expands intel, targeting support for Saudi campaign against Iranian ally (Sep. 2026):
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/10/po…

Al Arabiya (Saudi state media) – Yemen Updates:
https://www.alarabiya.net/arab-and-wo…