United States Security Policy in Europe

Just like the United States, Europe confronts a diverse and complex array of crises that are making the world a more dangerous place. Radical Islamists have attacked Paris and Copenhagen. In the Mediterranean, over 700 migrants perished tragically in a shipwreck fleeing the conflict and instability of North Africa. Then there is Russia. In 2012, the Defense Strategic Guidance argued that the changing global security environment offered a chance to rebalance the U.S. military investment in Europe while building a closer relationship with Russia. The Obama administration eliminated two heavy brigades stationed in Europe and pursued a so-called reset policy towards Russia. Russia's invasion and dismemberment of Ukraine should remind everyone of the true nature of Putin's ambitions and the fragility of peace in Europe. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. policy toward Russia was based on a bipartisan assumption that the Russian government sought to integrate peacefully into the international order in Europe and to forge a constructive relationship with the United States based on mutual national interests. Recent events have overturned that assumption.