A Sustainable U.S. Strategy for Transatlantic Relations: NATO, the Eu, and the USA

The election of President Donald J. Trump in 2024, is reshaping the current transatlantic relationship. There are those who argue that this relationship no longer serves U.S. interests. Others argue that Europe is more than capable of dealing with Russia and that the United States should conserve its limited resources and focus on China. A Sustainable U.S. Strategy for Transatlantic Relations: NATO, the EU, and the USA disagrees. With a rising and increasingly menacing China, an aggressive and dangerous Russia, and a host of other challenges, the United States and its allies need each other more than ever. This requires a sustainable Transatlantic strategy that acknowledges and addresses both the domestic and international environment facing the United States and its allies. A strong NATO, with an improved European support, will provide a credible deterrent and the capability to prevail in any conflict. At the same time, the EU, with its economic strength and political influence, is needed to complement NATO. In addition to NATO and the EU, the United States needs to strengthen key bilateral relations in Europe. Finally, for the transatlantic relationship to continue, European allies need to increase their contributions to transatlantic security, both with increased spending and greater capabilities. This book shows how this can be done.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Introduction: A Sustainable U.S. Strategy for Transatlantic Relations. Part I – Causal beliefs, alliances, partners, and key bi-lateral relations. 1 Causal beliefs: a synthesis of international relations theory. 2 NATO: the foundation of the Transatlantic Strategy. 3 The EU: the scaffolding of a sustainable Transatlantic Strategy. 4 Key bi-lateral relations: Sustaining Key Bi-Lateral Relations. 5 Türkiye: a difficult but necessary ally. Part II – Challenges – Burden Sharing, Russia, and China. 6 Burden Sharing: an Essential Element of a Sustainable Strategy. 7 Russia: Why Europe and the United States Still Need Each Other. 8 China: Why the United States and Europe need each other to compete. Conclusion

About the Author :
Joel R. Hillison, is professor of national security studies and the former General Colin Powell Chair of Military and Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College.

Review :
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the most successful alliance in history, faces a moment of immense peril and potentially dramatic change. Joel Hillison, a remarkable soldier and scholar, has stepped up to explain why NATO continues to be a terrific bargain for the United States and a pillar of the global order-as long as the United States continues to recognize its value. Highly recommended. Hillison has written a powerful and memorable study of Transatlantic relations and explained why they are critical to US security and global stability. His clear and direct writing style distills a complex issue down to the essentials, and makes these accessible to a wide audience of readers. At a time when the value of alliances and international institutions is being questioned from many quarters, Joel Hillison reminds us why they matter, and why NATO in particular is critical to the ability of the US to meet the challenges of the 21st century. An excellent and most readable book, giving a clear balanced argument supporting a pragmatic approach to sustain the defence and security of the western world. Hillison draws lessons, setting the circumstances of today in the context of the history of the transatlantic relationship. Strongly recommended, it should be read by at least practitioners, policy makers and their advisers on both sides of the Atlantic.