Pakistan and US relations shift toward neo-royalist diplomacy

The evolving relationship between the United States and Pakistan is being analyzed through the lens of ‘neo-royalism,’ a concept describing a shift from traditional Westphalian state-to-state diplomacy toward transactional interactions between elite factions and political networks.

Under the administration of Donald Trump, US foreign policy has increasingly favored personalized diplomacy. This is exemplified by the close ties between Trump and Pakistani Army Chief Marshal Asim Munir, whom the US President has publicly praised. While this shift suggests a move toward vertical power structures centered around individual leaders, analysts question whether Pakistani leadership is utilizing these American administrative changes to serve specific state interests or merely participating in factional maneuvering.