Too close for comfort: European geostrategy and the transatlantic alliance

In this Commentary feature the author argued that the question for Europe in 2018 was whether it needed to de-couple its strategy toward regional great powers from that of the United States.

His conclusion was that decoupling did not mean opposition to the United States. Regardless of the eccentricities of the Trump administration, the economic, cultural, and ideological links between Europe and the United States meant that it would and should remain Europe’s closest geopolitical ally. Rather, decoupling meant creating a capacity to define - and, when appropriate, pursue - its interests independently of the United States.

For the moment, European strategic decision making was not up to that task. Until it was, America’s enemies would be Europe’s as well.

• Primary Source

ESO: Key Source: European Union Global Strategy http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-union-global-strategy/

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