Abstract

With the election of US President Donald Trump, the very essence of transatlantic relations, embedded in the shared ideologies of liberalism, democracy, human rights and globalization has begun to erode. The already strained United States-Europe relationship is now at the lowest ebb under the Trump administration. This rift is visible since long and is continuously widening due to divergence of economic, security, political and environmental interests of the United States (US) and its European allies. This paper discusses the reasons for divergence between the two old partners who have traditionally identified themselves collectively as the ‘West’ and the impact it has had on their partnership. This paper examines the evolution of the US-Europe relations, crisis under Trump's Jacksonian politics leading to divergences on core issues, namely Russia as a threat and energy supplier, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), climate change and Iran. In addition, it deliberates on the future trajectory of transatlantic partnership under Trump administration and offers policy options.

Highlights

  • United States (US) President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election against a more popular candidate, Hillary Clinton, was quite unanticipated[1] and came as a shock for Washington’s European allies

  • This paper examines the evolution of the US-Europe relations, crisis under Trump’s Jacksonian politics leading to divergences on core issues, namely Russia as a threat and energy supplier, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), climate change and Iran

  • This paper explores emerging contours of transatlantic relationship under the Trump administration

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Summary

Introduction

US President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election against a more popular candidate, Hillary Clinton, was quite unanticipated[1] and came as a shock for Washington’s European allies. Trump’s presidency has been characterized as ‘reckless’, ‘erratic’ and ‘flip-flopping’ on policy statements He criticized North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as ‘obsolete’ and days later, declared it ‘no longer obsolete.’[5] in yet another diplomatic faux pas, Trump directly criticized NATO members for not sharing their due responsibility in organization’s defense budget.[6] This was seen as humiliating, condescending and outright false by the latter. The paper will look into the future implications of Trump’s policies on the transatlantic partnership especially in the context of conflicting policy approaches by the stakeholders towards core issues including Russia as a threat and energy supplier; sanctions on Russia and its impact on European economy; NATO; climate change; transatlantic trade partnership, and the forgone Iran nuclear deal framework It discusses the future tractor of the transatlantic relationship under Trump Administration

Evolution of Transatlantic Relationship
Transatlantic Relationship and Trump Administration
Factors Responsible for Divergences
Environmental Degradation and Climate Change
Trump and the Future Trajectory of the Transatlantic Relationship
Findings
Conclusion
Full Text
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