Bronwen Maddox, Director and Chief Executive of the Chatham House international affairs think-tank, gave her annual lecture at the institution’s London headquarters on January 13, 2026, said, ‘We have had from President Trump what amounts to a revolution. He has given the US a radically new role in the world and – at the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence – a role that rejects the principles on which the US was founded: that government should be accountable to the people.’
Maddox added, ‘Most profound, we have had the rejection of principles of international law that the US helped forge – even if it often declined to apply those to itself. Venezuela brandished that rejection to the world, followed by the President’s intention to acquire Greenland.
In further remarks Maddox said, ‘This does mark the end of the Western alliance: that is, a group of countries confident they share not just interests but principles of individual liberty, intellectual and religious freedom, constitutional democracy and free trade – principles which have been the engine of their prosperity as well as the rationale for their global influence.’
On China, Maddox said, ‘The US has never had a rival like China: its equal or more in technology, trade and military power.’
Expanding on her theme, she said: ‘In just a few years, China has become the leading exporter of electric vehicles. It’s not just those, solar panels and turbines; you can see the same happening in pharmaceuticals, batteries, 5G telecoms, factory automation, and shipbuilding.
Source:
Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox warns ‘This does mark the end of the Western alliance’ https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/01/chatham-house-director-bronwen-maddox-warns-does-mark-end-western-alliance