2025 U.S. foreign policy wins

As President George Washington warned in his Farewell Address, the United States should avoid being pulled into unnecessary conflicts and permanent rivalries abroad. He wisely believed America would be stronger, safer, and more united if it acted with care and discipline on the world stage.

We couldn’t agree more.

War puts a great strain on our soldiers and their families, while affecting our global standing, the national debt, and American domestic liberties.

While force is sometimes necessary, it is not the only tool available and should be used as a last resort in most situations. Only when American lives and our nation’s core interests are in danger should our men and women fight abroad.

We saw major progress toward that goal in 2025.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest foreign policy wins last year ― and why they matter.

Reducing blank checks for war

For too long, outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) have given presidents broad, almost unlimited power to send American men and women into harm’s way without clear objectives or congressional debate.

Last year, some of these AUMFs were ended.

As part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, signed by President Trump, the 1991 Gulf War and 2002 Iraq War AUMFs were repealed.

Why it matters: Congress took a major step toward restoring the constitutional balance of power in foreign policy, as designed by our founders.

This doesn’t mean America can’t take necessary action overseas to defend its warfighters and interests, but these decisions should be informed and approved by the elected representatives of the American people instead of through executive action alone.

What’s still on the books? The 2001 AUMF is still active, but we’re encouraged to see real progress made on this issue.

Iraq and Syria: Fewer troops in the line of fire

2025 also saw a real reduction in the number of Americans in harm’s way. In Iraq, Washington committed to reducing its troop footprint by 20% and will withdraw essentially all of its forces from Syria.

According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the withdrawal is possible because of “our combined success in fighting ISIS.”

In other words, the United States has successfully beaten ISIS and greatly degraded the terror group’s capabilities. Now, Washington should publicly acknowledge this success and bring our young men and women home.

We recognize that every deployment carries risk to the sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers involved. This is a step toward a more judicious foreign policy.

Europe is stepping up

For years, the United States has been carrying the burden of European and Middle Eastern security. It’s time for wealthy allies to step up and take more responsibility for their own defense.

There are serious steps toward this reality.

NATO’s own 2025 estimates show major jumps in defense spending from some of our wealthy allies:

• Poland rose to almost 4.5% of its gross domestic product
• Denmark to about 3.25%
• Latvia and Lithuania to about 4%

Instead of carrying most of Europe’s defense on its shoulders, this signals a shift toward burden-sharing among capable allies.

This is a step toward realistic, mutually beneficial partnerships.

A more realistic U.S. role in Ukraine

When it comes to current conflicts, restraint is probably most important in the Ukraine-Russia war.

From 2022 through 2024, Washington sent well over $170 billion in war-related aid to Ukraine, including more than $65 billion in direct military assistance.

That level of spending was never sustainable.

The good news is that the amount of unchecked aid sent to Kyiv has significantly decreased when compared to previous years.

This is important because, at CVA, we’ve been clear that America should not engage in another long war with no exit plan. Europe has the capacity to provide for its own defense without dragging the United States into a conflict with a nuclear-armed nation across the world.

We want to set realistic boundaries that emphasize diplomacy and burden-sharing.

Europe has to lead and has the capabilities to do so.

A safer path forward depends on negotiations, realistic goals, and shared responsibility ― not limitless funding and escalation.

There’s still work to do

We saw real progress in 2025 and are optimistic about the coming years.

You can join us in telling Washington to rethink its foreign policy for the betterment of America and our heroes. Sign our letter here.

Dive deeper: Read our report on realism and restraint in practice.