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23. Europe
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Chapter
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23 Europe For more than four decades after World War II, U.S. security policy toward Europe focused on the East-West confrontation with the Soviet Union and the implementation of the policy of containment. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU), conflicts in the Balkans (especially in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo), al-Qa’ida terrorist attacks within the United States and European countries, and military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have all combined to cause a fundamental realignment of U.S. foreign policy toward the European continent. Today, U.S. security interests in Europe continue to be shaped by shared values and a shared history. From mature democratic political systems to developed capitalist economies, the similarities between the United States and Europe offer a foundation for sustaining and building upon the close network of cooperation that developed over the years of Cold War.Yet in recent years, significant transatlantic rifts have developed; without attention, these disagreements will adversely affect the ability of the United States to continue to partner with the countries of Europe to advance common interests. U.S. Interests in Europe The dramatic transformations on the European continent since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the large-scale terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe in the early twenty-first century have quite logically led the United States to reassess its security interests in Europe. Five major topics deserve attention in looking to the future. 485 486 American National Security First, the United States has a continuing interest in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an entity that promotes the security and stability of twenty-four European states (plus Canada) and contributes broadly to international peace and security. The collective defense provision of the alliance (Article 5) indicates that an attack on a member state will be considered an attack against the entire group of members. NATO successfully ensured the freedom of its members and prevented war in Europe during the forty years of the Cold War. However, some argue that with this success, NATO also ended the reason for its existence. Ongoing NATO operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and the Mediterranean Sea provide a counterargument and highlight the potential usefulness of continued U.S. participation in the alliance and transformation of its capabilities. Since its founding, The NATO alliance has served as the foremost means through which the United States cooperates with foreign partners in its initiatives relating to international peace and security and its continuing MAP 23.1 Europe [18.234.139.149] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 00:05 GMT) operations suggest that it will remain a useful treaty organization into the foreseeable future. Second, because of the large volume of trade and investment across the Atlantic , the stability of this region and security of transatlantic lines of communication remain key U.S. interests for economic reasons. In 2005, 21% of all U.S. exports went to the EU, while 19% of total U.S. imports were from the EU.1 Yet trade disputes between the United States and the EU (often aired in the World Trade Organization) are frequent, and the existence of various tariffs and subsidies (particularly regarding agricultural products and the aircraft industry) strain this economic relationship. Third, the United States has an interest in remaining engaged in the region to serve as a counterweight to the influence of the major successor state to the former Soviet Union, Russia. Despite arms reductions, Russia retains a large conventional arsenal and nuclear weapons capable of threatening its neighbors and the United States. Because intentions can change, and because of the possibility that these capabilities could fall into the hands of terrorists or be sold to other states openly hostile to the United States, Russia’s military arsenal remains a major U.S. security concern. In addition, many countries in eastern and central Europe and central Asia fear the threat that a resurgent Russia could pose to their security and autonomy. The United States has an interest in the continued political and economic development of these countries and long-term peace and stability in Eurasia. (For more on Russia, see Chapter 22.) Fourth, Europe’s geographic proximity to other regions in which U.S. vital interests lie—particularly the Middle East—also makes it strategically valuable to the United States. Continued close cooperation with the countries of Europe can help the...