Three years into the Trump administration’s “America First” approach to foreign policy, the president’s repeated criticisms of alliances, muddled messaging, and policy confusion have placed the trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific alliance systems under strain.
On October 29, scholars from the Brookings Institution, Institute for European Studies (now: Brussels School of Governance), and the Asan Institute discussed the impact of these policies on America’s allies and examine the shifting geopolitical dynamics. How do U.S. allies perceive the U.S. commitment to these decades-long relationships? How have European and East Asian countries adjusted their approaches to the United States and to their neighbors? As the deepening U.S.-China rivalry has developed into the new norm, how do our allies view their role in their respective regions and their security interests in this framework? What are the implications for regional security and cooperation?
The trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific dialogue provided strategic analysis of evolving alliance structures, delved into the future of U.S. relationships in Europe and the Asia Pacific, and examined the implications on regional conflict management, especially with respect to the Korean Peninsula.
