Courtesy of the Kremlin: The Reinvigorated Transatlantic Alliance

This article discusses the transatlantic relationship as it has developed since Joe Biden’s inauguration, and particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Much hope initially attached to the new US president after the dizzying experience that was Donald Trump. However, Biden’s first year in office was not an unqualified success. The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan left a sour taste with many in Europe, and Europeans had still not owned up to their commitments at the 2014 Wales Summit to re-arm.
Yet, Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine galvanised the old alliance, and a new common sense of purpose was discovered in the attempt to counter Russian aggression. The Americans beefed up their presence in Europe; Europeans started strengthening their defences; deliveries of advanced weapons to Ukraine gathered steam; the EU showed much backbone in imposing severe sanctions on Russia, even at an economic cost to itself. Whether this newfound transatlantic coherence can be sustained remains to be seen. But for the moment, the Kremlin has breathed new life into the transatlantic alliance.