Kuala Lampur, June 10 -- As President Donald Trump, ostensibly, prepares for his appearances at the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur this mid October 2025 - with no assurance of showing up unlike other Heads of States that are the Strategic Dialogue Partners of Asean - all signs point to him pushing a familiar and blunt message: America's allies and partners in Asia must spend more on US arms.

But if past and current trends are any indication, Trump's appeals are likely to fall on deaf ears. The region is not just weary of increased militarization-it is actively rejecting Washington's insistence that defense budgets be inflated at the expense of economic recovery and long-term stability.

There is an inherent contradiction in Trump's dem...