The special relationship between the United States and Britain remains important

US President Donald Trump is doing what American presidents have threatened to do since the beginning of the new millennium: turning the United States into a theater of military operations in the Indo-Pacific region, far from Europe.

However, the events that have made headlines over the past 12 months, particularly those related to the island of Greenland, reveal a more cautious dialogue across the Atlantic.

This week, two major NATO bases, including one in Norfolk, Virginia, were handed over to European leaders.

While it is undeniable that the United States will play a smaller role in the defense of Europe in this century, this move, which includes transferring the headquarters of Atlantic Command to British command, indicates that the United States is serious about building European capabilities.

Handing over command of the joint forces at the operational level means that the remaining US forces in joint deployments will be under the command of British and European personnel.

In response to American pressure, Europe has begun to invest more seriously, though not yet sufficiently, in its own defense, and reducing Europe’s dependence on American planning, command, and control systems is essential to build capabilities and enable the United States to focus on China.

America retains the position of Supreme Allied Commander, taking command of NATO naval forces based in the United Kingdom, reflecting its growing concern about Russian naval incursions into the Arctic.

Together, these changes will strengthen European militaries and their ability to coordinate, while also ensuring that the alliance achieves American priorities.

Leadership responsibilities

The possibility of adopting mutually beneficial arrangements like these proves that NATO continues to provide indispensable value to all participating countries.

The United Kingdom, in particular, as these leadership appointments show, will play a more important role, as the US position in Europe shifts from deploying military assets and operational command to a more specialized and experienced role that can only be played, and the only location for US bombers in Europe is in the United Kingdom.

The naval base currently operated by the United States at Northwood will play a major role in Arctic security. These bases form some of the cornerstones of a smaller, but more specialized American presence in Europe, while larger, permanent European armies provide conventional force.

While the “special relationship” between Britain and the United States and its military components has become a secondary topic in strategic circles, military bases are not the only ones that make Britain central to the United States’ strategy, as the most important factor is diplomatic trust.

The presence of British leadership at a base on American soil means a lot. Britain plays a fundamental role as the only mediator capable of communicating between the two largest European armies (German and Polish) on the one hand, and the United States on the other hand.

The linguistic, legal and historical ties and deep mutual cultural understanding between America and Britain are simply indispensable, and for this reason, Britain is the only European power participating in the “Ocus” (a treaty that was arguably concluded at the expense of France), which aims to contain the growth of Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Single partner

Britain is the only European partner with the reach, reach and specialized capabilities to play a role on both continents (Europe and the Americas) simultaneously.

It is this trust and closeness that has enabled the UK to play its most harmonious military-intelligence integration role at the highest possible level with the United States.

No other US relationship functions similarly, and thanks to this implicit trust, Britain has continued to play a role that no other ally can.

Moreover, British intelligence continues to demonstrate its ability to innovate, and Britain’s independence from European Union institutions enables it to pursue closer economic and regulatory integration with the United States, which may represent another step towards deeper integration between the two countries’ military and industrial supply chains. The United States needs a bridge to Europe as it transforms, and early indications show that the United Kingdom will be that bridge.

There is another question that can only be answered by the British: Should the United Kingdom follow America to the Pacific? This question goes to the heart of a wider debate about Britain’s strategic identity.

In the book “Great Britain: Rethinking the United Kingdom’s Grand Strategy and the Art of State,” the author believes that the United Kingdom can no longer rely on inherited assumptions about its global role, and must align its ambitions with its capabilities in a more disciplined manner.

For example, Britain lacks the ground capabilities needed to provide tangible support to forces such as the Polish army in Eastern Europe.

Advanced capabilities

It can be said that deploying naval forces in the Far East better serves the interests of the United Kingdom. Two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers equipped with American-made fighters, a fleet of nuclear submarines, and advanced reconnaissance capabilities are more suitable for joining a deterrent force against China, alongside the alliance that brings together Britain, the United States, and Australia, rather than deploying them on land in the vast expanses of Eastern Europe. While America and the United Kingdom each care about their basic interests, it is clear that there is a great convergence in their goals. Their capabilities, and that their paths towards influence and prosperity are linked to each other.

Ironically, the United States’ distancing itself from Europe may strengthen the special relationship between Washington and London across the Atlantic and in the Pacific. About “National Interest”

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Close relationship

The close relationship between Britain and the United States is not only limited to relations between presidents and prime ministers, but also includes close working relationships in the areas of intelligence, defense and security.

This relationship revolves in particular around the commitment that Britain obtained from the United States in the wake of World War II, to remain a guarantor of peace in Europe, and this commitment formed the basis of Western cooperation throughout the Cold War period and beyond.

Aside from conflicts, the two armies train and prepare together very closely, and there are bilateral relations at many levels between their respective armed forces. The United Kingdom has purchased American technology to enhance its capabilities in the field of nuclear weapons, and has adopted other types of American military technology, which has made it heavily dependent on American support at times.

However, Brexiteers have presented a UK-US free trade agreement as a potential big win, as the EU has failed to complete negotiations with the US on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

. The United States’ distance from Europe may strengthen the relationship between Washington and London across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

. Britain’s independence from European Union institutions enables it to seek closer economic and regulatory integration with America.