During his presidential campaign, President–elect Trump repeatedly warned that the world was on the brink of World War III. This rhetoric represented a clear recognition that we have seen an alarming slide toward increased global conflict in recent years. Dramatically increased tensions have emerged, or outright hot wars have erupted, around the planet from Ukraine to Taiwan, Korea, and the Middle East.

To truly put U.S. interests first, we must not accept the concept of a new global war while urging American participation in it, as some would have us do. Even apart from the risk of nuclear catastrophe, a true slide into World War III would carry immense costs for U.S. domestic revitalization, our security at home, and our global position abroad. Instead, we must pursue a vision of U.S. foreign policy leadership that emphasizes using our national strength to avert global conflict and supports a more stable, peaceful international order that will benefit the United States. This report contains a set of recommendations for the incoming Trump administration designed to support that vision.