the US needs to be more considerate of the interests of potential allies.

This is not just a call for appeasement it’s a call to bend over backward to enemies and hope they use lubrication.

Potential allies are not allies today. And may never be.

The whole idea of allies versus non allies is that the allies get consideration, the “potentials” -or more precisely the enemies -get notice that it doesn’t pay to be an enemy. Rewards should come long after they themselves come to that realization.

Certainly you don’t sacrifice a current ally for a quixotic potential.