March 06, 2017
The U.S. relationship with Europe hinges on diplomacy
President Donald Trump announced his intention to increase defense spending by $54 billion in next year’s federal budget, funded largely by sharp cuts to various other U.S. agencies. One of the agencies most severely impacted by this decision is the State Department.
Today, State’s yearly budget is approximately $50 billion, (only 1 percent of the entire federal budget). Trump has proposed cutting that budget by about 37 percent. The mere suggestion that State should be cut by such a large margin indicates a troubling disregard for the important role this agency plays in U.S. national security, especially in regards to the transatlantic relationship.
It is easy to frame the U.S.-Europe relationship strictly in defense terms, as NATO has been the bedrock of transatlantic relations for decades. Criticisms abound over Europe and NATO allies’ unwillingness to shoulder a fair share of their security burden, which is not an unfair point to make. Europe has a long way to go in terms of defense spending, and NATO allies must ensure they take the necessary steps to reach their defense spending goal of 2 percent of GDP.
Read the full article at The Hill.
More from CNAS
-
Exploiting Russian Weakness
Reports
Introduction Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has created ripple effects that extend well beyond Ukraine’s borders. Reverberations from the war have been particularly p...
By Nicholas Lokker & Andrea Kendall-Taylor
-
What Can We Expect from a Harris-Walz Foreign Policy?
Podcast
As the 2024 presidential elections approach, there is increasing speculation about the potential implications for U.S foreign policy. Today on Brussels Sprouts, we will have t...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Andrea Kendall-Taylor and the Axis of Upheaval
Video
On the Russian Roulette podcast from CSIS, Andrea Kendall-Taylor discusses the rise of cooperation between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, in what she has dubbed 'the ax...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Max Bergmann & Maria Snegovaya
-
Addressing the Axis of Upheaval
Podcast
Host Tom Keatinge of RUSI is joined by Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at CNAS, as they discuss how growing cooperation between the Axis ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor
