Virtual Event | Transatlantic Turbulence: The Future Role of the United States in European Security

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In Munich and Brussels last week, the Trump administration signaled a seismic shift in U.S. policy toward its European allies. Since World War II, the United States has been the primary security guarantor of Europe. Yet recent remarks from President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have called this status quo into question.

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) held a special live episode of the Brussels Sprouts podcast on Thursday, February 20. Hosts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend of the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program discussed what happens next in the U.S.-Europe relationship with Emma Ashford, senior fellow in the Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy program at the Stimson Center, and Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The first sign of the shift in U.S. policy toward European allies began with a surprise phone call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Then, in remarks delivered in Brussels, Secretary Hegseth stated that the United States will no longer be primarily focused on European security. At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Vance criticized European free speech and immigration policies, sending shockwaves through European capitals.

In Saudi Arabia, representatives of the United States met their Russian counterparts to begin talks over a possible peace agreement in Ukraine, while Europe and Ukraine scrambled to be included. These initial conversations and actions could mark a decisive shift in the war’s trajectory and the future of European security.

Featuring:

Andrea Kendall-Taylor
Senior Fellow and Director
Transatlantic Security Program

Jim Townsend
Adjunct Senior Fellow
Transatlantic Security Program

Emma Ashford
Senior Fellow for Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy
Stimson Center

Stephen Wertheim
Senior Fellow in the American Statecraft Program
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

For registration questions, contact Jasmine Butler at [email protected]. For media inquiries, contact Alexa Whaley at [email protected].