Shifrinson Writes on U.S.-NATO Relations in Política Exterio
Joshua Shifrinson, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, published an op-ed in Política Exterio – Spain’s leading foreign affairs publication – discussing the United States and it’s engagement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
In the article, titled “An image of power at a low price,” Shifrinson discusses the contradictory U.S. interests concerning NATO, in that it has historically tried maintaining a foothold in Europe to further American interests without a steep financial commitment. According to him, recent U.S. transatlantic policy has been heavily steeped in this duality. Shifrinson goes on to argue that no matter who the next U.S. President is, NATO will have to contend with U.S. strategic interests shifting towards East Asia and the specter of reduced U.S. support to Europe.
An excerpt:
US lawmakers have long been swimming between two waters when it comes to NATO. By seeking to project an image of American power and influence in Europe and legitimize American foreign policy ambitions, the Atlantic Alliance has periodically been presented as a valuable vehicle for organizing Europe in a way that furthers broader American interests. Still, the United States has also been reluctant to pay or risk too much to achieve this result: being wealthy and secure at home, having European influence is fine, but of doubtful necessity. The tug of war between these two contradictory impulses explains the American approach to transatlantic politics.
The full article can be read here.
Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson is an Assistant Professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, where his teaching and research interests focus on the intersection of international security and diplomatic history, particularly the rise and fall of great powers and the origins of grand strategy. He is author of Rising Titans, Falling Giants: How Great Powers Exploit Power Shifts (Cornell University Press, 2018) and his work has appeared with International Security, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Foreign Affairs, and other venues. Read more about him here.