Relations of the European Union with the United States and NATO: dilemmas of euro-atlanticism

Transatlantic relations have always been central to Western security and defense policy. At the same time, the prospects for the creation of European defense structures from the 1950s to the present day have been a stumbling block in Euro-Atlantic relations. The construction of the defense potential of the European Union until the 90s was considered on both sides of the Atlantic as a purely theoretical project of the distant future, which did not pose a threat to the solidarity of the allies. The gradual formation of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy against the backdrop of the crisis in NATO and the aggravation of the international situation resulted in the project of European strategic autonomy, which sharply raised the question of the future configuration of the Euro-Atlantic partnership. This topic has become central to today’s discussions between the European and American strategic communities, assessing how building the EU’s defense potential could impact the role of NATO and the US leadership position in ensuring security in the Euro-Atlantic area.