The AUKUS defense agreement continues to shake up relations in Southeast Asia, as the nations caught between Australia and China move to protect stability in the region as the staredown between the U.S. and China intensifies.

The transatlantic honeymoon is over. Europe is being forced, in its own best interests, to pursue greater strategic autonomy, since it is finding the United States to be a shaky and unreliable ally. Feeling exposed, Europe will look more toward providing for its own security.

AUKUS partnership’s nuclear submarine deal destabilizes the Indo-Pacific region and serves no one’s interest — least of all France, which was stabbed in the back. Will the vessels ever be delivered as promised? Washington couldn’t care less. It’s all about money and American jobs.

Parallels between the U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan and its previous defeat in Vietnam have been top of mind for many, nowhere more so than in Southeast Asia itself, where American intervention and the ensuing fallout is still being reckoned with today.

While other U.S. allies participated modestly in exercises in the South China Sea with a warship or two, the United Kingdom jumped in with both feet, dispatching an aircraft carrier fleet. This highlighted its special relationship with the U.S. and revealed some deeper strategic intent.

The term is used to criticize the United States for its haphazard exit from Afghanistan, but in truth it reflects the plight of U.S. allies — specifically, their inability to exercise their own strategic autonomy. America’s failure may present an opportunity for U.S. allies to cut the apron strings and start acting independently.

The future of the anti-terror campaign in Afghanistan rests both on the Taliban’s own endeavors and the support of the international community. If the lessons of the 20-year campaign against terror can be learned, there is reason to hope.

There is lots of room for China-U.S. cooperation, but it won’t happen automatically. A concerted effort by both is needed. The Americans should recognize that China is a trustworthy partner, not a rival, when it comes to Afghan affairs. China, too, will need to change its thinking.

The notion that America can fight and win all over the world has proved false yet again. The display of panic was an embarrassment that undermined the U.S. military’s reputation for making and executing plans. It should have been clear that this war never was winnable.

Everyone hopes to see the world’s two major powers coordinate and support each other in guiding Afghanistan toward the future. They need to come to grips with issues that separate them and present a united front. Together, they should help Afghanistan move on from the chaos of war.