Publication

Long the main pillar holding up the transatlantic relationship, the security of Europe seems to have turned into an accessory element in the transatlantic security agenda. This trend can be traced back to three main structural factors. First, with the dual enlargement of NATO and the European Union to most countries once under Soviet rule, the political stabilization of post-Cold War Europe has largely been achieved. Second, over the last twenty years the threat environment has changed dramatically, with security challenges to the United States and European countries now emanating from distant places. Third, the economic shift towards once under-performing countries in Asia and other regions in the world underlies an emerging international relations system characterized by multiple centers of powers.