Joe Biden Should Support a European Army
A European defense union would strengthen rather than undermine NATO and the West.
NATO or EU?
Photographer: Raigo Pajula/AFP via Getty Images
I see symbolism in Joe Biden’s calendar over the coming days — and an opportunity for a new U.S. approach to the European Union. With luck, it’ll culminate in American support for European military integration.
Here’s the U.S. president’s line-up: At the weekend, he was in the U.K., America’s main ally in World War II. On Monday, he’ll be in Brussels for a summit of NATO, the military alliance America built after the war. He stays in town on Tuesday for a powwow with the EU, the progeny of a historic post-war peace project. And on Wednesday he’s off to neutral Switzerland to stare down Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia and foil to all of the above.