Keir Strmer was today in Washington DC to visit his main ally; However, the new foreign policy model proposed by Donald Trump challenges the maintenance of former alliances
In 1946 when he was speaking at a university in Missouri, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the relationship between his country and the United States of America Special Relationshipthe special relationship. This term referred to the strong and fraternal military, diplomatic, cultural and historical relationship divided by the two countries over almost two centuries, especially after World War II.
In fact, the insistence of Sir Winston Churchill was critical to convincing Franklin D. Roosevelt, then US president, to militarily support the allies in Europe at crucial moments of the war. Today, the signs are reversed, instead of a Democrat in the White House we have a Republican, and instead of a conservative in Downing Street 10, we have a labor. This party reversal has happened before, but never the relationship so well cultivated, has crossed such uncertain days.
The posture adopted by the Unideon State President has made it quite clear to the whole world that Europe, in its prominent place occupied in the last 80 years, is no longer a priority for the new administration. The visit of A it happens at an extremely delicate moment. The United States decided to take the Russian side in the conflict unfolding in Eastern Europe, in one of the largest geopolitical twists of the last 50 years.
By cuddling Putin, while publicly humiliated, Trump, indirectly also humiliates Europe’s historical allies, including the Premermer. Regional security concerns were a central part of the agenda discussed, especially after the British government’s announcement to increase by 2.5% of the annual GDP its defense spending.
Despite having done the “homework” and arrived in Washington with robust promises to show, the irreducible posture of the Republican president, emphasized that neither Starmer nor any other European leader will be easy to convince Americans to return to their historical defense of common values. The prime minister also brought a letter from monarch Charles III, inviting the president to an official reception for the king and his family in London.
Even with a smile of gratitude and the likely presence in Buckingham Palace soon, it is also likely that none of this has some practical effect and bring improvements to the prognosis of transatlantic relations. The best chance in the hands of the British is to use their economic independence outside the European Union to seek a more favorable bilateral agreement with Americans, now that the European tariffs have been confirmed by the White House.
The reasons behind recent decisions of Washington’s course change are still unknown. The sudden breaking of so many protocols and traditions has yet caused nights of insomnia throughout the old continent. The next few days will be crucial to know more details of Trump’s new geopolitical plan, starting with more concrete meetings about the future Ukrainian. Whatever the result, what is observed at this time, finds that the “special relationship” so valued on both sides of the Atlantic, will now be just more ordinary relationship, among many others, between the United States and the rest of the world.
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the young Pan.
